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Fintech: Financial Inclusion or Exclusion?

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  • Yoke Wang Tok
  • Dyna Heng

Abstract

This paper examines the role of Fintech in financial inclusion. Using Global Findex data and emerging fintech indicators, we find that Fintech has a higher positive correlation with digital financial inclusion than traditional measures of financial inclusion. In the second stage of our empirical investigation, we examine the key factors that are correlated with the Fletcher School’s three digital divide – gender divide, class (rich-poor) divide and rural divide. The results indicate that greater use of fintech is significantly associated with a narrowing of the class divide and rural divide but there was no impact on the gender divide. These findings imply that Fintech alone may not be sufficient to close the gender gap in access to financial services. Fintech development may need to be complemented with targeted policy initiatives aimed at addressing the gender gap directly, and at changing attitudes and social norms across demographics.

Suggested Citation

  • Yoke Wang Tok & Dyna Heng, 2022. "Fintech: Financial Inclusion or Exclusion?," IMF Working Papers 2022/080, International Monetary Fund.
    • Handle: RePEc:imf:imfwpa:2022/080
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    Cited by:

    1. Aurelien K. Yeyouomo & Simplice A. Asongu, 2022. "Fintechs and the financial inclusion gender gap in Sub-Saharan African countries," Working Papers of The Association for Promoting Women in Research and Development in Africa (ASPROWORDA). 22/018, The Association for Promoting Women in Research and Development in Africa (ASPROWORDA).
    2. Daniela Peluso, 2023. "The Digital Divide and Futurist Imaginings of Zelle‐ous Resistors," Social Inclusion, Cogitatio Press, vol. 11(3), pages 41-50.
    3. Simplice A. Asongu & Peter Agyemang-Mintah & Joseph Nnanna & Yolande E. Ngoungou, 2024. "Mobile money innovations, income inequality and gender inclusion in sub-Saharan Africa," Financial Innovation, Springer;Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, vol. 10(1), pages 1-21, December.
    4. Davaadorj, Zagdbazar, 2024. "The influence of the digital divide on peer-to-peer lending outcomes," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 61(C).
    5. Suhrab, Muhammad & Chen, Pinglu & Ullah, Atta, 2024. "Digital financial inclusion and income inequality nexus: Can technology innovation and infrastructure development help in achieving sustainable development goals?," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    6. Yasmeen, Rizwana & Huang, Haiping & Shah, Wasi Ul Hassan, 2024. "Assessing the significance of FinTech and mineral resource depletion in combating energy poverty: Empirical insights from BRICS economies," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 89(C).
    7. Foguesatto, Cristian Rogério & Righi, Marcelo Brutti & Müller, Fernanda Maria, 2024. "Is there a dark side to financial inclusion? Understanding the relationship between financial inclusion and market risk," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    8. Broader, Jacquelyn, 2024. "Tapping In: Leveraging Open-Loop Fare Payments to Increase Financial Inclusion," Institute of Transportation Studies, Research Reports, Working Papers, Proceedings qt88v9c0wm, Institute of Transportation Studies, UC Berkeley.
    9. Carolina Guerini & Donato Masciandaro & Alessia Papini, 2024. "Literacy and Financial Education: Private Providers, Public Certification and Political Preferences," BAFFI CAREFIN Working Papers 24223, BAFFI CAREFIN, Centre for Applied Research on International Markets Banking Finance and Regulation, Universita' Bocconi, Milano, Italy.
    10. Chia-Nan Wang & Nhat-Luong Nhieu & Wei-Lin Liu, 2024. "Unveiling the landscape of Fintech in ASEAN: assessing development, regulations, and economic implications by decision-making approach," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-16, December.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Fintech; Financial Inclusion; Financial Development; Inequality; Fintech development; class divide; role of Fintech; appendix A. data definition; Fintech proxy; Digital financial services; Gender inequality; Mobile banking; East Asia; Caribbean; Asia and Pacific; Global; Middle East; Southeast Asia;
    All these keywords.

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