Access to Financial Services

Beck, Thorsten; Demirgüç-Kunt, Asli; Honohan, Patrick

dc.creator	Beck, Thorsten
dc.creator	Demirgüç-Kunt, Asli
dc.creator	Honohan, Patrick
dc.date	2012-03-30T07:12:34Z
dc.date	2012-03-30T07:12:34Z
dc.date	2009-03-30
dc.date.accessioned	2023-02-18T19:40:21Z
dc.date.available	2023-02-18T19:40:21Z
dc.identifier	World Bank Research Observer
dc.identifier	1564-6971
dc.identifier	http://hdl.handle.net/10986/4426
dc.identifier.uri	http://localhost:8080/xmlui/handle/CUHPOERS/249911
dc.description	In many developing countries less than half the population has access to formal financial services, and in most of Africa less than one in five households has access. Lack of access to finance is often the critical mechanism for generating persistent income inequality, as well as slower economic growth. Hence expanding access remains an important challenge across the world, leaving much for governments to do. However, not all government actions are equally effective and some policies can even be counterproductive. This paper sets out principles for effective government policy on broadening access, drawing on the available evidence and illustrating with examples. The paper concludes with directions for future research.
dc.publisher	World Bank
dc.rights	CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 IGO
dc.rights	http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/igo/
dc.rights	World Bank
dc.subject	access to finance
dc.subject	access to financial services
dc.subject	allocation of funds
dc.subject	economic growth
dc.subject	financial depth
dc.subject	financial markets
dc.subject	financial outreach
dc.subject	financial systems
dc.subject	formal financial services
dc.subject	government policy
dc.subject	growth opportunities
dc.subject	households
dc.subject	inequalities
dc.subject	inequality
dc.subject	information asymmetries
dc.subject	international bank
dc.subject	lack of access
dc.subject	payments services
dc.subject	savings
dc.subject	transaction costs
dc.title	Access to Financial Services
dc.type	Journal Article
dc.type	Journal Article
dc.coverage	Peru
dc.coverage	Chile
dc.coverage	China
dc.coverage	India