Countries
Every country tells a story

The path to financial inclusion is distinct for the twelve financial inclusion countries. Each faces different marketplace barriers and opportunities, and the profile of consumers on adoption ranges from early adopters to more of the broad-based population. While the path to financial inclusion differs by country, the goal of improving lives is consistent. Please explore the story each country tells by clicking on the links below.

  • Bangladesh
  • Benin
  • Ghana
  • India
  • Indonesia
  • Kenya
  • Nigeria
  • Pakistan
  • Rwanda
  • Senegal
  • Tanzania
  • Uganda
Bangladesh
Bangladesh leads FII Asian countries’ mobile money usage, although most transactions are conducted through unregistered accounts.
Benin
While Benin has a low overall financial inclusion rate, there exists a sizable portion of the population that possesses the readiness factors.
Ghana
In Ghana, the digital financial services (DFS) sector grew from an estimated 150,000 active users in 2011 to more than 4 million in 2015.
India
Over 6 in 10 Indian (63%) are financially included and have bank accounts (62%). Still nearly 2 in 3 citizens (65%) live below the $2.50/day poverty line.
Indonesia
With the highest income per capita among the 8 FII countries, Indonesia promises great potential for financial inclusion—26% of adults are financially included.
Kenya
Despite extreme poverty Kenya leads the developing world in the use of mobile money.
Nigeria
As Africa’s largest economy, Nigeria has potential to drive consumers toward financial inclusion, yet internal strife and economic instability make progress uncertain.
Pakistan
With more than 180 million adults but only 1 in 10 (9%) financially included, Pakistan is one of the largest unbanked countries in the world.
Rwanda
Mobile money services were introduced in Rwanda in 2010, and their use has grown tremendously (1 in 4 Rwandans now use the services).
Senegal
Senegal has the lowest rate of formal financial account ownership of all African FII/MM4P countries.
Tanzania
Five in 10 Tanzanians (54%) are currently financially included, mainly through mobile money accounts (53%).
Uganda
Mobile money is leading the way to Ugandan financial inclusion, and 4 in 10 adults (40%) have financial services accounts.

Topics

The factors involved in financial inclusion are numerous. This section contains the topics most closely related to bringing individuals into the world of digital financial services. Each contains pieces of the puzzle that, once connected, yields greater inclusion and better lives. As you explore these topics please note how having data offers the ability to draw a clearer picture of the road to financial inclusion.

  • Agriculture
  • Banking
  • Financial Literacy
  • Gender
  • Mobile Money
  • Mobile Phones
  • Non-Bank Financial Institutions
  • Over-the-Counter
  • Youth
  • Economic Empowerment
  • Financial Health
Agriculture
Agriculture is the bedrock of many of FII countries’ economy; yet agricultural workers tend to be poorer, less financially included, and older than other workers.
Banking
Banking plays a key role in India, Indonesia and Nigeria’s move toward financial inclusion. In Bangladesh and East African countries, mobile money is testing bank relevance.
Financial Literacy
The foundation for financial literacy, basic numeracy, paves the road to financial inclusion.
Gender
Women lag men in the use of financial tools across every measure, and closing the gender gap requires motivating women to adopt financial mechanisms.
Mobile Money
Using a simple mobile phone to conduct financial transactions has help bring financial inclusion to millions of consumers in the developing world.
Mobile Phones
Research shows the most effective way to significantly expand lower-income populations’ access to formal financial services is through a digital channel like a cell phone.
Non-Bank Financial Institutions
Non-bank financial institutions (NBFIs) vary from country to country by provider type, service option, and marketplace presence.
Over-the-Counter
Many consumers first interact with digital financial services by reaching out to mobile money agents to help send or receive money through an OTC transaction.
Youth
Digitally more active yet financially less secure, youth (ages 15-24) are a particularly important segment to target for financial inclusion.
Economic Empowerment
FII found that being financially included is associated with an increase in economic empowerment, but the increase is smaller for women versus men.
Financial Health
While the gains seen vary by country, on average, financial health increases with greater education.
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Jun 3 2016
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Country

  • Africa
    • Benin
    • Ghana
    • Kenya
    • Nigeria
    • Rwanda
    • Senegal
    • Tanzania
    • Uganda
  • Asia
    • Bangladesh
    • India
    • Indonesia
    • Pakistan

Topic

  • Agriculture
  • Banking
  • Financial Literacy
  • Gender
  • Mobile Money
  • Mobile Phones
  • Non-Bank Financial Institutions
  • Over-the-Counter
  • Youth

Archive

  • 2018
    • May
      • Announcing the Upcoming Release of the 5th Annual Financial Inclusion Insights Data and Reports
  • 2017
    • Dec
      • Financial Inclusion in Bangladesh Receives a Mobile Money Boost: Insights from the 2016 FII Data
    • Nov
      • Financial Inclusion in India: Lessons from the 2016 FII Data
      • Financial Inclusion in Uganda: Highlights from the FII 2016 Data
      • One year later: What was the impact of demonetization on financial inclusion in India?
      • Financial Inclusion in Kenya: Highlights from the FII 2016 Data
    • Oct
      • Financial Inclusion in Indonesia: Lessons from the 2016 FII Data
      • Why is Nigeria’s Financial Inclusion Lagging Compared to its African Peers?
      • The Impact of a Decrease in Phone Access on Financial Inclusion in Tanzania – Lessons from the 2016 FII Data
    • Sep
      • How to Accelerate Financial Inclusion in Pakistan -- Lessons from the 2016 FII Survey Data
    • Jul
      • Announcing Release of the 4th Annual Financial Inclusion Insights Data and Reports
      • Announcing the New FII 2016 Datasets: Wave IV
    • Apr
      • Request for Proposals: FII Wave V Africa Surveys
  • 2016
    • Dec
      • Financial Inclusion in India: A Demand Side Approach
    • Oct
      • DFS Readiness and Interest: Critical Components for Market Uptake in Benin
    • Sep
      • The Case for Wage Digitization in Bangladesh’s Garment Factories
      • Pakistan's Gender Gap in Financial Inclusion
      • Global Conversations: Fostering Financial Inclusion across Africa
      • Re-Evaluating FI Metrics for India
    • Jul
      • African Financial Inclusion Insights in an Instant
      • Using Big Data to Extend Loans to the Unbanked
    • Jun
      • InterMedia & BRAC Present FII Findings
      • Mobile Wallets: A way to bring transparency to ROSCAs?
      • Watch the 2016 FII Conference
      • Anatomy of an Indicator: Defining Financial Inclusion
      • Cross-Country Comparison: Financial Services in Developing Markets
      • Providing Perspective: Closing The Gender Gap
      • Identifying A Need, Inciting Action
      • Tanzania: A Digital Ecosystem Takes Shape
      • Converting Mobile Money Awareness to Use
      • What's Driving Financial Inclusion in South Asia?
      • India Wave Report Released
      • Kenya Wave Report Released
  • 2015
    • Nov
      • How do we accelerate advanced mobile money usage in Tanzania?
    • Oct
      • The Journey to Entrenching New Financial Habits
      • Making Mobile Money Accessible in Pakistan
      • Have branchless banking pilots and well-defined regulations paved the way to greater inclusion in Indonesia?
      • Pakistan: Is Mobile Money a Viable Alternative to Banking?
    • Aug
      • Financial Literacy in Indonesia
    • Jul
      • G2P Needs to Work for Consumers
    • Jun
      • Indonesian women in agriculture. What are their financial stories?
      • 2014 Financial Inclusion Insights in Indonesia: Women farmers in Indonesia a valuable target group for building to inclusion
    • May
      • ROSCAs and Mobile Wallet Adoption in Pakistan
      • Financial Access and the Developing World Highlights from the Conference
    • Apr
      • What’s Behind these Numbers?
      • The Best of Both Worlds
    • Feb
      • Keeping Financial Inclusion Customer Centric
    • Jan
      • Indonesia FII Data Shows Mixed Picture on Digital Financial Access
  • 2014
    • Dec
      • Six Things You Need to Know About Mobile Money Usage in Bangladesh
      • An Evidence-Based Path to Financial Inclusion in India
      • India Livelihoods-Based Study Wins FII Data Challenge Grand Prize
    • Nov
      • Connected Women: What’s holding back digital financial services uptake among women in India?
    • Oct
      • A Demand for Secure Savings Exists Among Tanzanians; M-Pawa may Prove to be a Viable Savings Option – Especially for Those in Rural Areas
    • Sep
      • Is a Lack of Consumer Information Keeping Indonesians Financially Excluded?
      • Mobile Money Interoperability and Mobile Money Users: Who Stands to Benefit?
    • Aug
      • Mobile Money Adoption in Nigeria: Is there Low-Hanging Fruit?
    • Jul
      • Barriers to Mobile Money Adoption in Nigeria
      • Moving Beyond the First Step to Financial Inclusion in India (Part 2 of 2)
      • Moving Beyond the First Step to Financial Inclusion (Part 1 of 2)
    • May
      • Pakistan: Mobile Money Uptake, Awareness and Trust
    • Apr
      • M-Shwari in Kenya: How is it Really Being used?
      • The Human Factor in Digital Financial Inclusion
    • Mar
      • Same Village, Different Women – Nuances emerge as poor, rural women discuss mobile phones and DFS
    • Feb
      • Let Me Keep My Cash: Digitizing Wages in the Garment Sector of Bangladesh
    • Jan
      • A Mixed Bag in Kenya: Safaricom’s products have moved far beyond M-PESA – but are they reaching the poor?

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