Publication: Measuring Financial Inclusion : The Global Findex Database
Date
2012-04
ISSN
Published
2012-04
Author(s)
Abstract
This paper provides the first analysis
of the Global Financial Inclusion (Global Findex) Database,
a new set of indicators that measure how adults in 148
economies save, borrow, make payments, and manage risk. The
data show that 50 percent of adults worldwide have an
account at a formal financial institution, though account
penetration varies widely across regions, income groups and
individual characteristics. In addition, 22 percent of
adults report having saved at a formal financial institution
in the past 12 months, and 9 percent report having taken out
a new loan from a bank, credit union or microfinance
institution in the past year. Although half of adults around
the world remain unbanked, at least 35 percent of them
report barriers to account use that might be addressed by
public policy. Among the most commonly reported barriers are
high cost, physical distance, and lack of proper
documentation, though there are significant differences
across regions and individual characteristics.
Citation
“Demirguc-Kunt, Asli; Klapper, Leora. 2012. Measuring Financial Inclusion : The
Global Findex Database. Policy Research Working Paper ; No. 6025. © World Bank, Washington, DC. http://openknowledge.worldbank.org/entities/publication/fd0322b0-985c-5836-8396-9ee61c45716c License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”
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