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The impact of high school financial education : experimental evidence from Brazil

Author

Listed:
  • Bruhn, Miriam
  • de Souza Leao, Luciana
  • Legovini, Arianna
  • Marchetti, Rogelio
  • Zia, Bilal

Abstract

This paper studies the impact of a comprehensive financial education program spanning six states, 868 schools, and approximately 20,000 high school students in Brazil through a randomized control trial. The program increased student financial knowledge by a quarter of a standard deviation and led to a 1.4 percentage point increase in saving for purchases, better likelihood of financial planning, and greater participation in household financial decisions by students."Trickle-up"impacts on parents were also significant, with improvements in parent financial knowledge, savings, and spending behavior. The study also finds evidence that the program affected students'inter-temporal preferences and attitudes.

Suggested Citation

  • Bruhn, Miriam & de Souza Leao, Luciana & Legovini, Arianna & Marchetti, Rogelio & Zia, Bilal, 2013. "The impact of high school financial education : experimental evidence from Brazil," Policy Research Working Paper Series 6723, The World Bank.
    • Handle: RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:6723
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    Cited by:

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    3. Kiliyanni, Abdul Latheef & Sivaraman, Sunitha, 2016. "The perception-reality gap in financial literacy: Evidence from the most literate state in India," International Review of Economics Education, Elsevier, vol. 23(C), pages 47-64.
    4. Kondratjeva, Olga & Roll, Stephen P. & Bufe, Sam & Grinstein-Weiss, Michal, 2021. "Using financial tips to guide debt repayment: Experimental evidence from low- and moderate-income tax filers," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    5. Laura Hospido & Ernesto Villanueva & Gema Zamarro, 2015. "Finance For All: The Impact Of Financial Literacy Training In Compulsory Secondary Education In Spain," Working Papers 1502, Banco de España.
    6. Berry, James & Karlan, Dean & Pradhan, Menno, 2018. "The Impact of Financial Education for Youth in Ghana," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 102(C), pages 71-89.
    7. Geert Van Campenhout, 2015. "Revaluing the Role of Parents as Financial Socialization Agents in Youth Financial Literacy Programs," Journal of Consumer Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 49(1), pages 186-222, March.
    8. Maria De Paola & Francesca Gioia & Fabio Piluso, 2020. "Does Reminding of Behavioural Biases Increase Returns from Financial Trading? A Field Experiment," International Journal of Economics and Finance, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 12(2), pages 1-1, February.
    9. Bover, Olympia & Hospido, Laura & Villanueva, Ernesto, 2018. "The Impact of High School Financial Education on Financial Knowledge and Choices: Evidence from a Randomized Trial in Spain," IZA Discussion Papers 11265, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    10. Zhu, Alex Yue Feng, 2019. "School financial education and parental financial socialization: Findings from a sample of Hong Kong adolescents," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 107(C).
    11. Hanson, Thomas A. & Olson, Peter M., 2018. "Financial literacy and family communication patterns," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Elsevier, vol. 19(C), pages 64-71.
    12. Zhu, Alex Yue Feng, 2020. "Impact of school financial education on parental saving socialization in Hong Kong adolescents," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 87(C).

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    Keywords

    Tertiary Education; Financial Literacy; Education For All; Secondary Education; Primary Education;
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