Access to Financial Services and the Financial Inclusion Agenda Around the World: A Cross-Country Analysis with a New Data Set

57 Pages Posted: 20 Apr 2016

See all articles by Oya Pinar Ardic

Oya Pinar Ardic

World Bank; World Bank

Maximilien Heimann

affiliation not provided to SSRN

Nataliya Mylenko

World Bank - Financial and Private Sector Development

Date Written: January 1, 2011

Abstract

Recent empirical evidence highlights that access to basic financial services can make a substantial positive difference in improving poor people's lives. Accordingly, financial sector reforms that promote financial inclusion are increasingly at the core of policymakers? agendas. The Consultative Group to Assist the Poor and the World Bank Group, in response, launched the Financial Access project, including a cross-country database on financial inclusion topics and an annual report to inform the policy debate. Using this database, this paper (i) counts the number of unbanked adults around the world at 56 percent, (ii) analyzes the state of access to deposit and loan services as well as the extent of retail networks, and (iii) discusses the state of financial inclusion mandates around the world.

Keywords: Access to Finance, Financial Literacy, Banks & Banking Reform, Debt Markets, Emerging Markets

Suggested Citation

Ardic, Oya Pinar and Heimann, Maximilien and Mylenko, Nataliya, Access to Financial Services and the Financial Inclusion Agenda Around the World: A Cross-Country Analysis with a New Data Set (January 1, 2011). World Bank Policy Research Working Paper No. 5537, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1747440

Oya Pinar Ardic (Contact Author)

World Bank ( email )

1818 H Street, NW
Washington, DC 20433
United States

World Bank

1818 H Street NW
Washington, DC 20433
United States

Maximilien Heimann

affiliation not provided to SSRN ( email )

No Address Available

Nataliya Mylenko

World Bank - Financial and Private Sector Development ( email )

1818 H Street NW
Washington, DC 20433
United States

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