Publication:
Financial Inclusion and the Role of the Post Office

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dc.contributor.authorAnson, Jose
dc.contributor.authorBerthaud, Alexandre
dc.contributor.authorKlapper, Leora
dc.contributor.authorSinger, Dorothe
dc.date.accessioned2014-02-04T19:48:08Z
dc.date.available2014-02-04T19:48:08Z
dc.date.issued2013-10
dc.description.abstractGiven their widespread presence in rural and poor areas, post offices can play a leading role in advancing financial inclusion. Yet little is known about the type of clients that post offices reach through their financial service offerings as compared with clients of traditional financial institutions (such as commercial banks). This paper documents and analyzes account ownership patterns at post offices in comparison with traditional financial institutions, using the Global Financial Inclusion Indicators (Global Findex) database, which collects data on account ownership at post offices in 60 countries where postal accounts are offered. Controlling for a host of individual characteristics and country fixed effects, the paper finds that post offices are relatively more likely than traditional financial institutions to provide accounts to individuals who are most likely to be from financially vulnerable groups, such as the poor, less educated, and those out of the labor force. The paper also uses data from the Universal Postal Union to explore the degree to which different postal business models and the size of the postal network help explain differences in account ownership patterns. The results suggest that post offices can boost account ownership by acting as cash-merchants for transactional financial services, such as electronic government and remittance payments, and that partnerships between the post office and other financial institutions coincide with a higher bank account penetration. The paper also finds that the size of the postal network matters; the larger the network-relative to the network of traditional financial institutions -- the more likely it is that adults have an account at the post office.en
dc.identifierhttp://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2013/10/18419181/financial-inclusion-role-post-office
dc.identifier.doi10.1596/1813-9450-6630
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10986/16882
dc.languageEnglish
dc.language.isoen_US
dc.publisherWorld Bank, Washington, DC
dc.relation.ispartofseriesPolicy Research Working Paper;No. 6630
dc.rightsCC BY 3.0 IGO
dc.rights.holderWorld Bank
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo/
dc.subjectACCESS POINTS
dc.subjectACCESS TO FINANCE
dc.subjectACCOUNT HOLDERS
dc.subjectACCOUNT OWNERS
dc.subjectACCOUNT OWNERSHIP
dc.subjectBANK ACCOUNT
dc.subjectBANK BRANCHES
dc.subjectBUSINESS MODEL
dc.subjectBUSINESS MODELS
dc.subjectBUSINESS STRATEGY
dc.subjectBUSINESSES
dc.subjectCENTRAL BANK
dc.subjectCOLLEGE DEGREE
dc.subjectCOMMERCIAL BANKS
dc.subjectCOMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES
dc.subjectCONTACT POINTS
dc.subjectCOUNTRY FIXED EFFECTS
dc.subjectCREDIT UNION
dc.subjectDEBIT CARD
dc.subjectDEMOGRAPHIC
dc.subjectDEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS
dc.subjectDEPOSIT
dc.subjectDEVELOPING COUNTRIES
dc.subjectDIGITAL COMMUNICATION
dc.subjectECONOMIC ACTIVITY
dc.subjectEDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT
dc.subjectEMERGING MARKETS
dc.subjectEMPLOYER
dc.subjectEMPLOYMENT STATUS
dc.subjectFINANCIAL ACCESS
dc.subjectFINANCIAL INSTITUTION
dc.subjectFINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS
dc.subjectFINANCIAL SERVICE
dc.subjectFINANCIAL SERVICE PROVIDER
dc.subjectFINANCIAL SERVICE PROVIDERS
dc.subjectFINANCIAL SERVICES
dc.subjectFINANCIAL SERVICES PROVIDER
dc.subjectFORMAL FINANCIAL INSTITUTION
dc.subjectFORMAL FINANCIAL SECTOR
dc.subjectFORMAL SAVINGS
dc.subjectGENDER
dc.subjectINCOME
dc.subjectINCOMES
dc.subjectINSURANCE
dc.subjectINTERNATIONAL BANK
dc.subjectLABOR MARKET
dc.subjectLICENSE
dc.subjectLICENSES
dc.subjectLOAN
dc.subjectMERCHANT
dc.subjectMERCHANTS
dc.subjectMFI
dc.subjectMFIS
dc.subjectMICROFINANCE
dc.subjectMICROFINANCE INSTITUTION
dc.subjectMICROFINANCE INSTITUTIONS
dc.subjectMOBILE NETWORK
dc.subjectOPEN ACCESS
dc.subjectPAYOUT
dc.subjectPOST
dc.subjectPOST BANK
dc.subjectPOST OFFERS
dc.subjectPOST OFFICE
dc.subjectPOST OFFICE ACCESS
dc.subjectPOST OFFICE NETWORK
dc.subjectPOST OFFICE SAVINGS
dc.subjectPOST OFFICE SAVINGS BANK
dc.subjectPOST OFFICE SAVINGS BANKS
dc.subjectPOST OFFICES
dc.subjectPOSTAL
dc.subjectPOSTAL ACCOUNT
dc.subjectPOSTAL ACCOUNTS
dc.subjectPOSTAL BANK
dc.subjectPOSTAL BANKS
dc.subjectPOSTAL BUSINESS
dc.subjectPOSTAL ECONOMICS
dc.subjectPOSTAL FINANCIAL SERVICES
dc.subjectPOSTAL INSURANCE
dc.subjectPOSTAL NETWORK
dc.subjectPOSTAL NETWORK INFRASTRUCTURE
dc.subjectPOSTAL NETWORKS
dc.subjectPOSTAL OPERATORS
dc.subjectPOSTAL REGULATOR
dc.subjectPOSTAL SAVINGS
dc.subjectPOSTAL SAVINGS BANKS
dc.subjectPOSTAL SECTOR
dc.subjectPOSTAL SERVICE
dc.subjectPOSTAL SERVICES
dc.subjectPOSTS
dc.subjectPRIVATE SAVINGS
dc.subjectPRIVATE SECTOR
dc.subjectPRIVATE SECTOR DEVELOPMENT
dc.subjectREAL ESTATE
dc.subjectREMITTANCE
dc.subjectREMITTANCES
dc.subjectREPAYMENT
dc.subjectREPORTING
dc.subjectRESULT
dc.subjectRESULTS
dc.subjectSAVINGS ACCOUNTS
dc.subjectSAVINGS BANK
dc.subjectSAVINGS INSTITUTIONS
dc.subjectSUPERVISION
dc.subjectTRADITIONAL FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS
dc.subjectUNIVERSAL POSTAL
dc.subjectUNIVERSAL POSTAL UNION
dc.subjectUPU
dc.subjectURBAN AREAS
dc.subjectUSES
dc.subjectVILLAGE
dc.subjectVULNERABLE GROUPS
dc.subjectWEB
dc.subjectWORLD DEVELOPMENT INDICATORS
dc.subjectfinancial inclusion
dc.titleFinancial Inclusion and the Role of the Post Officeen
dspace.entity.typePublication
okr.crosscuttingsolutionareaPublic-Private Partnerships
okr.crossref.titleFinancial Inclusion and the Role of the Post Office
okr.date.disclosure2013-10-01
okr.date.doiregistration2025-04-10T09:51:37.773449Z
okr.doctypePublications & Research::Policy Research Working Paper
okr.doctypePublications & Research
okr.docurlhttp://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2013/10/18419181/financial-inclusion-role-post-office
okr.globalpracticeTransport and ICT
okr.globalpracticeFinance and Markets
okr.globalpracticeTransport and ICT
okr.globalpracticeTrade and Competitiveness
okr.guid680321468163464611
okr.identifier.doi10.1596/1813-9450-6630
okr.identifier.externaldocumentum000158349_20131021084620
okr.identifier.internaldocumentum18419181
okr.identifier.reportWPS6630
okr.language.supporteden
okr.pdfurlhttp://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2013/10/21/000158349_20131021084620/Rendered/PDF/WPS6630.pdfen
okr.sectorFinance :: General finance sector
okr.themeOther Financial Sector Development
okr.themeFinancial and private sector development
okr.topicFinance and Financial Sector Development::Access to Finance
okr.topicInformation and Communication Technologies::Postal Services
okr.topicPrivate Sector Development::Competitiveness and Competition Policy
okr.topicPrivate Sector Development::Emerging Markets
okr.topicPrivate Sector Development::E-Business
okr.unitFinance and Private Sector Development Team, Development Research Group
okr.volume1 of 1
relation.isAuthorOfPublicatione0a9502f-8574-53b5-bf27-732f5a6026e2
relation.isAuthorOfPublication.latestForDiscoverye0a9502f-8574-53b5-bf27-732f5a6026e2
relation.isSeriesOfPublication26e071dc-b0bf-409c-b982-df2970295c87
relation.isSeriesOfPublication.latestForDiscovery26e071dc-b0bf-409c-b982-df2970295c87
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