Financial inclusion is a key lever to reduce poverty and achieve inclusive economic growth. When people participate in the financial system, they are better able to start and expand businesses, invest in education, and manage risks. Yet, as of 2014, two billion adults remained unbanked.
How far has the world moved toward universal financial access since 2014, and what are the policies and technologies driving progress? Join us for this talk as Leora Klapper unveils the latest global, regional, and national trends from the 2017 Global Findex. The Global Findex is the world’s most comprehensive set of data on how people make payments, save money, borrow, and manage risk. Launched in 2011, it includes more than 100 financial inclusion indicators that allow worldwide comparisons of adults’ access to financial services, including by gender, age, and household income.
This third edition of the database was compiled in 2017 using nationally representative surveys in more than 140 developing and high-income countries. It includes updated indicators on access to and use of formal and informal financial services. It also features additional data on Fintech (financial technology) and digital financial services, including the use of mobile phones and internet technology to conduct financial transactions. The report discusses opportunities to expand access to financial services among the unbanked, and ways to promote greater use of digital financial services among the underbanked.
The 2017 Global Findex database and accompanying report are available at https://globalfindex.worldbank.org.
This event was originally scheduled for April 23 but had to be postponed. It has been rescheduled for May 17.
