## Chart of the Week: Access to Banking Services

_IMF Blog, February 20, 2017_

## Source details

**Canonical URL:** [Chart of the Week: Access to Banking Services](https://www.imf.org/en/blogs/articles/2017/02/20/chart-of-the-week-access-to-banking-services)

## Other formats

- [Markdown version](/en/blogs/articles/2017/02/20/chart-of-the-week-access-to-banking-services/index.md)
- [Structured JSON version](/en/blogs/articles/2017/02/20/chart-of-the-week-access-to-banking-services/index.json)
- [Bundle manifest](/en/blogs/articles/2017/02/20/chart-of-the-week-access-to-banking-services/bundle-manifest.json)

## Bibliographic details
- Authors: iMFdirect
- Published: February 20, 2017

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### Overview
- Publication: Chart of the Week
- Topic: Financial services; access to banking services across economies
- Platform and date: iMFdirect, February 20, 2017
- Visual credit: Photo (Tommaso79/iStock by Getty Images)

### Key findings and statistics
- Many people in advanced economies have multiple bank accounts.
- There are barely two bank accounts for every ten people in low-income economies.

### Analysis emphasis
- Access to financial services is essential to spread the fruits of economic growth to all, not just to the fortunate few.
- The content highlights the disparity in banking access between advanced and low-income economies.

### Policy recommendations and further actions
- Necessary reforms in low-income economies can be tweaked or completed by measures designed to ensure a win-win for both the rich and the poor in those economies.
- Suggested follow-ups in the original content:
  - Blog by Christine Lagarde, IMF Managing Director
  - Staff note on macro-structural policies and inequality in low-income countries

*Source: Chart of the Week: Access to Banking Services (iMFdirect, February 20, 2017).*

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## References

- [https://www.imf.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/eng_feb_2_spr_lics_sdn_2.jpg](https://www.imf.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/eng_feb_2_spr_lics_sdn_2.jpg)
- [Blog](https://blogs.imf.org/2017/01/26/the-fruits-of-growth-economic-reforms-and-lower-inequality/)
- [Staff note](http://www.imf.org/en/Publications/Staff-Discussion-Notes/Issues/2017/01/26/Macro-Structural-Policies-and-Income-Inequality-in-Low-Income-Developing-Countries-44526)

_Source: https://www.imf.org/en/blogs/articles/2017/02/20/chart-of-the-week-access-to-banking-services_