Culture and Financial Literacy
Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, Forthcoming
University of St.Gallen, School of Finance Research Paper No. 2017/03
56 Pages Posted: 14 Feb 2017 Last revised: 30 Mar 2018
Date Written: July 1, 2017
Abstract
We study the effect of culture on financial literacy by comparing secondary-school students along the German-French language border within Switzerland. We find that students in the French-speaking area have a lower level of financial literacy than students in the German-speaking area. The difference in financial literacy across the language groups is stronger among native students than among Immigrant students. A mediation analysis suggests that the cultural divide in financial literacy is mainly related to systematic differences in financial socialisation across the language groups. Students in the German speaking region are more likely to receive pocket money at an early age and are more likely to have independent access to a bank account.
Keywords: Culture, Financial Literacy, Financial Socialisation
JEL Classification: D03, D14, Z10
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation