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The 2015 Brookings Financial and Digital Inclusion Project Report

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The 2015 Brookings Financial and Digital Inclusion Project Report

Measuring Progress on Financial Access and Usage

Brookings Institution,

5 min read
5 take-aways
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What's inside?

This study of 21 emerging market countries reveals which have made strides in expanding financial inclusion and which are lagging.

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Editorial Rating

7

Qualities

  • Innovative

Recommendation

While most people want access to the convenience of a formal financial system, only 62% of adults around the world have it, according to this recap of financial inclusion from John D. Villasenor, Darrell M. West and Robin J. Lewis of the Brookings Institution. Their multifaceted analysis measures the availability of conventional banking accounts in 21 emerging economies, as well as their degree of digital capacity to enable mobile money services. getAbstract recommends this in-depth study to economists, government officials, bankers and others involved in the development of formal financial systems in emerging countries.

Summary

A study of 21 diverse emerging market countries reveals which have made strides in broadening financial inclusion – defined as “both access to and usage of appropriate, affordable and accessible financial services” – among their citizens, and which need to do more. The shift of money from informal to formal channels is important because helping consumers conduct simple tasks such as buying and selling adds to economic growth. Nations with a strong commitment to the goal, such as India, Nigeria and Pakistan, create specific targets within national strategies and align state agencies...

About the Authors

John D. Villasenor, a professor at UCLA, is a nonresident senior fellow at the Center for Technology Innovation at Brookings, where Darrell M. West is founding director and Robin J. Lewis is a research analyst.

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