Publication:
Enhancing Financial Capability and Inclusion in Morocco : A Demand-Side Assessment

Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Files in English
English PDF (3.57 MB)
926 downloads
English Text (212.5 KB)
140 downloads
Published
2014-12
ISSN
Date
2015-02-25
Editor(s)
Abstract
Approximately 41 percent of Moroccan adults use a formal financial product or service. This places Morocco well above the average level of financial inclusion in the Middle East and North Africa, as well as above the average level in lower middle income countries (18 percent and 28 percent, respectively). Bank accounts are the most commonly used financial product, with 28 percent of adults reporting having a deposit or checking account. Microfinance institutions (MFIs) currently reach about five percent of the adult population, a finding consistent with supply-side data. Insurance is used by around 24 percent of the adult population in Morocco which is mainly due to mandatory insurance classes. Allowing, and advocating for branchless banking offers the potential to further expand the coverage of financial services and to reach the poor, rural dwellers, and women. Moreover, initiatives to bring women into the financial sector need to reveal and take into account, the substantial differences which can exist between men and women in their access, needs, and preferences of financial services.
Link to Data Set
Citation
World Bank Group. 2014. Enhancing Financial Capability and Inclusion in Morocco : A Demand-Side Assessment. © http://hdl.handle.net/10986/21503 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.
Digital Object Identifier
Associated URLs
Associated content
Report Series
Other publications in this report series
Journal
Journal Volume
Journal Issue

Related items

Showing items related by metadata.

  • Publication
    Enhancing Financial Capability and Inclusion in Mozambique : A Demand-Side Assessment
    (Washington, DC, 2014-08) World Bank Group
    The key findings and recommendations presented in this report cover 4 main areas: financial inclusion, financial capability, relationship between financial inclusion and capability, and financial consumer protection. The remaining chapters are structured as follows. Chapter one explores the financial inclusion landscape in Mozambique. Chapter two gives an overview of Mozambicans' levels of financial capability, in particular about their financial knowledge, attitudes and behaviors. The relationship between financial capability and inclusion is discussed in chapter three. The last chapter investigates if the products which financially included individuals use are effectively meeting their needs.
  • Publication
    Financial Capability in Colombia
    (World Bank, Washington, DC, 2013-07-01) Reddy, Rekha; Tan, Congyan; Bruhn, Miriam
    Colombian authorities have made financial inclusion a core element of the country's socioeconomic development. The Central Bank of Colombia (BRC) requested support from the World Bank to develop and execute a nationally representative survey on financial capability. This report covers the first nationally representative study to detail the financial behavior, attitudes, and knowledge that comprise financial capability. One complementary national study is the annual Household Financial Burden and Education Survey (IEFIC) jointly undertaken by the BRC and the National Administrative Department of Statistics (DANE). This report provides insights on consumer behavior, attitudes, and knowledge relevant to initiatives promoting financial education and financial inclusion. Preliminary insights from this study have been used in developing the National Strategy on Social and Economic Policy (CONPES) document outlining the strategy for financial education in Colombia. There is an ongoing debate over measures that will codify a national financial education strategy into law. This report has following four objectives: (i) to provide empirical evidence on the financial behavior, attitudes, and knowledge of the Colombian population; (ii) to support the design of public policies to enhance both knowledge about and the quality of financial services; (iii) to highlight vulnerabilities and gaps in particular segments of the population with the goal of improving and focusing public policies and interventions where they are most needed; and (iv) to provide a basis for international comparison with other countries for which these data are available. This report describes a baseline measure of the financial capability of the Colombian adult population and highlights key results from the first national survey. This report is organized as follows: chapter one gives introduction. Chapter two describes key findings related to daily money management and financial planning behaviors and attitudes. Chapter three examines decisions related to the use of financial products and level of financial knowledge. Chapter four summarizes key behaviors and attitudes into financial capability scores, facilitating the creation of profiles and comparisons among different segments of the population. Chapter five presents international comparisons. Chapter six examines the relationship between financial capability, financial knowledge, and financial inclusion. Chapter seven provides policy recommendations related to the key challenges to financial capability identified in the report.
  • Publication
    Financial Literacy around the World : An Overview of the Evidence with Practical Suggestions for the Way Forward
    (World Bank, Washington, DC, 2012-06) Xu, Lisa; Zia, Bilal
    Financial literacy programs are fast becoming a key ingredient in financial policy reform worldwide. Yet, what is financial literacy exactly and what do we know of its effectiveness? This paper collects insights from the literature thus far and summarizes global evidence on financial literacy, its correlates, and existing and upcoming causal investigations. The authors conclude with a synthesis of policy advice and practical suggestions for the way forward in this fast growing area of research.
  • Publication
    Slovakia : Technical Note on Consumer Protection in Financial Services, Volume 1. Main Report
    (Washington, DC, 2007-07) World Bank
    As financial markets develop and deepen, one of the key issues for the fair, open and efficient operation of the markets is the protection of consumers rights in financial services. Be they bank depositors or borrowers or investors in insurance policies, securities or investment or pension funds, financial consumers need the ability to accurately understand the terms and conditions of their contracts and take action if the terms of contracts have been violated. The Note is the second report in a pilot program to analyze consumer protection in financialservices.The objectives of the Note are three-fold, to: (1) present a set of draft good practices for assessing consumer protection in financial services; (2) conduct a review of the existing rules and practices in Slovakia compared to the draft practices; and (3) provide recommendations on ways to improve consumer protection in financial services in Slovakia. The Technical Note wasprepared at the request of the Slovak Ministry of Finance, with the valuable support of the National Bank of Slovakia and other government agencies, ministries, and non-government organizations. In the past the World Bank has also prepared governance reviews of the Slovak financial sector for banking and private pension funds. Few guidelines are available for consumer protection in financial services. Consumer protection in financial services remains a new and developing area for which no consensus has developed on the broad parameters against which a specific country might be analyzed. This Note relied on the EU Directives related to consumer protection and the reports of European financialregulatory and supervisory agencies. Other sources were also used. In the United States, the Federal Trade Commission, the Securities and Exchange Commission and other state, federal and self-regulatory agencies have developed laws, rules and guidelines to protect financial consumers. In addition, the 2003 OECD Guidelines for Protecting Consumers from Fraudulent and DeceptiveCommercial Practices across Borders and the 1999 United Nations Guidelines for Consumer Protection served as useful reference points for general consumer protection not related to the financial sector. The recommendations in the Note go beyond the provisions of the EU Directives currently in force. As described in the EU Consumer Protection strategy announced in March 2007 and the April 2007 Green Paper on Retail Financial Services, European financial consumers wouldbenefit from stronger legal and institutional protections than are currently in place. Both in Europe and elsewhere, contemporary thinking on consumer protection is rapidly evolving. The Technical Note takes into account the international discussion on financial consumer protection and evolving good practices in financial consumer protection. Thus, the Note presents recommendations that are applicable to the Slovak financial sector, but in some cases go beyondthe minimum requirements set by EU legislation.
  • Publication
    Peru : Diagnostic Review of Consumer Protection and Financial Literacy
    (Washington, DC, 2013-11) World Bank
    The diagnostic review for consumer protection and financial literacy (CPFL) provides a detailed assessment of the institutional, legal, and regulatory framework for consumer protection in four segments of the financial. A World Bank (WB) mission visited Peru from March 18 to 27, 2013 to prepare the review. The objectives of the CPFL review were: (i) to assess the existing consumer protection and financial literacy framework by reviewing laws, regulations, and practices in Peru compared to international good practices; and (ii) to provide recommendations on ways to improve the level of financial consumer protection and financial literacy in Peru. It seeks to identify key measures in strengthening financial consumer protection, with the ultimate aim of increasing the availability and transparency of financial information, helping build consumers' trust in the financial sector, and expanding their capacity to wisely use financial services. The review addresses the following issues: (1) institutional arrangements, (2) legal and regulatory framework, (3) disclosure, (4) business practices, (5) dispute resolution mechanisms, and (6) financial education.

Users also downloaded

Showing related downloaded files

  • Publication
    Taxes, Spending, and Equity: International Patterns and Lessons for Developing Countries
    (Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-11-17) Wai-Poi, Matthew; Sosa, Mariano; Bachas, Pierre
    Taxes and public spending underpin the basic administration of government and finance the human capital and infrastructure investments needed for economic growth. They can also have a significant and immediate impact on poverty and inequality. The question of how public finance can support longer-term growth objectives while promoting equity has become even more important in recent years, given the high fiscal deficits and debt levels most countries emerged with in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. These included the increasing cost of debt and the need to restart environmentally sustainable growth while helping households address the learning losses and other social scars caused by the pandemic. This paper examines the global evidence on which households pay which taxes and who benefits from what spending, and critically, the net effect on different households across the income distribution. The aim is to identify the patterns and lessons that emerge for designing progressive fiscal policies. A global dataset of 96 countries is assembled, spanning all regions of the world and all national income levels, grounded in the Commitment to Equity (CEQ) approach to fiscal incidence.
  • Publication
    Direct and Indirect Impacts of Transport Mobility on Access to Jobs: Evidence from South Africa
    (Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-11-12) Iimi, Atsushi
    Access to jobs is essential for economic growth. In Africa, unemployment rates are notably high. This paper reexamines the relationship between transport mobility and labor market outcomes, with a particular focus on the direct and indirect effects of transport connectivity. As predicted by theory, wages are influenced by the level of commuting deterrence. Generally, higher earnings are associated with longer commute times and/or higher commuting costs. Local accessibility is also important, especially for individuals with time constraints. Both direct and indirect impacts are found to be significant in South Africa, where job accessibility has been challenging since the end of apartheid. For the direct impact, the wage elasticity associated with commuting costs is significant. Returns on commute are particularly high for women. Local accessibility to socioeconomic facilities, such as shops and health services, is also found to have a significant impact, consistent with the concept of mobility of care. To enhance employment, therefore, it is crucial to connect people not only to job locations but also to various socioeconomic points of interest, such as markets and hospitals, in an integrated manner. This integration will enable individuals to spend more time working and commuting longer distances.
  • Publication
    Continental Drying: A Threat to Our Common Future
    (Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-11-04) Zhang, Fan; Borja-Vega, Christian; Chandanpurkar, Hrishikesh Arvind; Famiglietti, James; Hogeboom, Rick; Namara, Regassa; Rasul, Zarif; Luengas-Sierra, Pavel; Rao, Deyu
    Grounded in new evidence from satellite data, “Continental Drying: A Threat to Our Common Future” presents the first global assessment of freshwater reserves over the past two decades. The findings expose an alarming trend of “continental drying,” a persistent long-term decline in freshwater availability across vast landmasses. Not only are droughts and deluges becoming more unpredictable, but the total amount of freshwater available for use has also significantly declined. Continental drying, driven by global warming, worsening droughts, and unsustainable water and land use, is a silent but accelerating crisis—largely unknown to the public—that reshapes the global water narrative. Continental drying raises profound risks. This report reveals new empirical evidence showing how freshwater depletion leads to major job losses, reduced incomes, wildfires, and biodiversity threats. In the long term, the combined effects of drying and warming could push societies toward a tipping point where damage accelerates rapidly and adaptation becomes increasingly difficult. Against the backdrop of continental drying, global water consumption rose by 25 percent between 2000 and 2019, with about a third of this increase occurring in regions already experiencing drying. Compounding the pressure, a substantial share of water use in drying regions remains inefficient. Continental Drying identifies hot spots where rising demand and declining supply converge and explores where and how water savings can be realized. This report recommends a three-pronged approach to address the crisis: managing demand, augmenting water supply, and improving water allocation. Five cross-cutting levers—strengthening institutions, reforming water tariffs and repurposing subsidies, adopting water accounting, leveraging data and technological innovations, and valuing water in trade—are essential for effective implementation and to attract private investment to finance the approach. Beyond water, addressing trade barriers, investing in education and skills development, and improving access to markets and financial services are critical for strengthening job and livelihood resilience amid a continental drying crisis.
  • Publication
    Digital Africa
    (Washington, DC: World Bank, 2023-03-13) Begazo, Tania; Dutz, Mark Andrew; Blimpo, Moussa
    All African countries need better and more jobs for their growing populations. "Digital Africa: Technological Transformation for Jobs" shows that broader use of productivity-enhancing, digital technologies by enterprises and households is imperative to generate such jobs, including for lower-skilled people. At the same time, it can support not only countries’ short-term objective of postpandemic economic recovery but also their vision of economic transformation with more inclusive growth. These outcomes are not automatic, however. Mobile internet availability has increased throughout the continent in recent years, but Africa’s uptake gap is the highest in the world. Areas with at least 3G mobile internet service now cover 84 percent of Africa’s population, but only 22 percent uses such services. And the average African business lags in the use of smartphones and computers as well as more sophisticated digital technologies that catalyze further productivity gains. Two issues explain the usage gap: affordability of these new technologies and willingness to use them. For the 40 percent of Africans below the extreme poverty line, mobile data plans alone would cost one-third of their incomes—in addition to the price of access devices, apps, and electricity. Data plans for small- and medium-size businesses are also more expensive than in other regions. Moreover, shortcomings in the quality of internet services—and in the supply of attractive, skills-appropriate apps that promote entrepreneurship and raise earnings—dampen people’s willingness to use them. For those countries already using these technologies, the development payoffs are significant. New empirical studies for this report add to the rapidly growing evidence that mobile internet availability directly raises enterprise productivity, increases jobs, and reduces poverty throughout Africa. To realize these and other benefits more widely, Africa’s countries must implement complementary and mutually reinforcing policies to strengthen both consumers’ ability to pay and willingness to use digital technologies. These interventions must prioritize productive use to generate large numbers of inclusive jobs in a region poised to benefit from a massive, youthful workforce—one projected to become the world’s largest by the end of this century.
  • Publication
    Kyrgyz Republic Country Climate and Development Report
    (Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-11-03) World Bank Group
    This Country Climate and Development Report (CCDR) on the Kyrgyz Republic aims to support the country’s development goals amid a changing climate. The CCDR considers two policy scenarios up to 2050: the business-as-usual (BAU) and high-growth scenarios. As it quantifies the likely impacts of climate change on the Kyrgyz economy between now and 2050, the report highlights key government actions to best prepare for and adapt to climate impacts (referred to as “with adaptation” measures), with a particular focus on the time horizon up to 2030. The CCDR also outlines a path to net zero emissions by 2050 (referred to as “with mitigation” measures, “decarbonization,” or, simply, “net zero 2050”), highlighting associated development co-benefits.