{
  "title": "Digital Financial Inclusion in Emerging and Developing Economies: A New Index",
  "publication": "IMF Working Papers, March 19, 2021",
  "sourceUrl": "https://www.imf.org/en/publications/wp/issues/2021/03/19/digital-financial-inclusion-in-emerging-and-developing-economies-a-new-index-50271",
  "canonical": "https://www.imf.org/en/publications/wp/issues/2021/03/19/digital-financial-inclusion-in-emerging-and-developing-economies-a-new-index-50271",
  "overlayPath": "/en/publications/wp/issues/2021/03/19/digital-financial-inclusion-in-emerging-and-developing-economies-a-new-index-50271/index.md",
  "summary": "Adoption of technology in the financial services industry (i.e. fintech) has been accelerating in recent years. To systematically and comprehensively assess the extent and progress over time in financial inclusion enabled by technology, we develop a novel digital financial inclusion index.",
  "sections": [
    {
      "heading": "Overview",
      "content": "- Adoption of technology in the financial services industry (i.e. fintech) has been accelerating in recent years.\n- The paper develops a novel digital financial inclusion index to systematically and comprehensively assess the extent and progress over time in financial inclusion enabled by technology.\n- The index is intended as an analytical tool for researchers and policy makers."
    },
    {
      "heading": "Methodology",
      "content": "- The digital financial inclusion index is based on payments data covering 52 developing countries for 2014 and 2017.\n- The index takes into account both access and usage dimentions of digital financial services (DFSs).\n- The digital index is combined with traditional measures of financial inclusion in the literature and aggregated into an overall index of financial inlusion."
    },
    {
      "heading": "Key Findings",
      "content": "- The adoption of fintech has been a key driver of financial inclusion.\n- There is wide variation across countries and regions:\n  - The greatest progress was recorded in Africa and Asia and the Pacific regions."
    },
    {
      "heading": "Policy Implications and Uses",
      "content": "- The index should offer a useful analytical tool for researchers and policy makers seeking to assess and track digital financial inclusion and its drivers.\n\n---\n\n Content in this bundle\n\n- Working Paper\n  - Working Paper (Markdown version){rel=\"alternate\" type=\"text/markdown\"}\n  - Working Paper (PDF){rel=\"external\" type=\"application/pdf\"}\n\n---\n\nSource: https://www.imf.org/en/publications/wp/issues/2021/03/19/digital-financial-inclusion-in-emerging-and-developing-economies-a-new-index-50271"
    }
  ],
  "bullets": [
    "[Markdown version](/en/publications/wp/issues/2021/03/19/digital-financial-inclusion-in-emerging-and-developing-economies-a-new-index-50271/index.md)",
    "[Structured JSON version](/en/publications/wp/issues/2021/03/19/digital-financial-inclusion-in-emerging-and-developing-economies-a-new-index-50271/index.json)",
    "[Bundle manifest](/en/publications/wp/issues/2021/03/19/digital-financial-inclusion-in-emerging-and-developing-economies-a-new-index-50271/bundle-manifest.json)",
    "Authors: Purva Khera, Stephanie Y Ng, Sumiko Ogawa, Ratna Sahay",
    "Published: March 19, 2021",
    "Series: IMF Working Papers",
    "DOI: https://doi.org/10.5089/9781513574196.001",
    "Adoption of technology in the financial services industry (i.e. fintech) has been accelerating in recent years.",
    "The paper develops a novel digital financial inclusion index to systematically and comprehensively assess the extent and progress over time in financial inclusion enabled by technology.",
    "The index is intended as an analytical tool for researchers and policy makers.",
    "The digital financial inclusion index is based on payments data covering 52 developing countries for 2014 and 2017.",
    "The index takes into account both access and usage dimentions of digital financial services (DFSs).",
    "The digital index is combined with traditional measures of financial inclusion in the literature and aggregated into an overall index of financial inlusion.",
    "The adoption of fintech has been a key driver of financial inclusion.",
    "There is wide variation across countries and regions:",
    "The index should offer a useful analytical tool for researchers and policy makers seeking to assess and track digital financial inclusion and its drivers.",
    "**Working Paper**"
  ],
  "related": [
    {
      "title": "Working Paper",
      "role": "paper",
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.imf.org/-/media/files/publications/wp/2021/english/wpiea2021090-print-pdf.pdf",
      "summary": {
        "path": "/-/media/files/publications/wp/2021/english/wpiea2021090-print-pdf.pdf.md",
        "mime": "text/markdown"
      },
      "binary": {
        "path": "/-/media/files/publications/wp/2021/english/wpiea2021090-print-pdf.pdf",
        "mime": "application/pdf"
      }
    }
  ],
  "alternates": {
    "markdown": "/en/publications/wp/issues/2021/03/19/digital-financial-inclusion-in-emerging-and-developing-economies-a-new-index-50271/index.md",
    "json": "/en/publications/wp/issues/2021/03/19/digital-financial-inclusion-in-emerging-and-developing-economies-a-new-index-50271/index.json",
    "bundleManifest": "/en/publications/wp/issues/2021/03/19/digital-financial-inclusion-in-emerging-and-developing-economies-a-new-index-50271/bundle-manifest.json"
  },
  "generatedAtUtc": "2026-09-16T19:12:06.813Z"
}
