GLOBAL FINDEX OVERVIEW

What is the Global Findex?

The first individual-level database on financial inclusion that is

comparable across countries and time.

Based on more than 150,000 interviews with adults ages 15+,

representing more than 97 percent of the world’s adult population.

Over 10,000 adults interviewed in MENA.

What does it measure?

Measures in detail the way in which adults in 148 economies save,

borrow, make payments, and manage risk.

Includes 41 indicators, disaggregated by gender, age, education level,

income, and residence (urban or rural).

GLOBAL FINDEX OVERVIEW

Why is the Global Findex valuable?

Provides a tool to benchmark the state of financial inclusion in the

MENA region

Measure the impact of public policies in improving financial inclusion

Uses a consistent methodology across time and countries.

Long-term project: the first round of data was released in April 2011,

with complete updates in 2014 and 2017.

Complements country-level efforts, & supply-side data (G20 Basic Set)

Who are our partners?

The survey was carried out by Gallup, as part of its annual World Poll.

The project is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

GLOBAL FINDEX ACCOUNT PENETRATION

The Global Findex covers 148 economies – in 23 economies, account penetration is over 95

percent, in 21 economies account penetration is 5 percent or less. Further variation exists within

economies, across individual characteristics.

GLOBAL FINDEX ACCOUNTS AND PAYMENTS IN MENA

18 percent of adults in the MENA region have an account at a formal financial institution,

compared to 24 percent in the Sub-Saharan Africa region and 33 percent in South Asia

The average account penetration among all adults in the developing world is 41 percent.

Significant variation across MENA countries in account penetration: 39 percent in

Morocco, 25 percent in Jordan, 10 percent in Egypt

GLOBAL FINDEX ACCOUNTS AND PAYMENTS FOR YOUTH

Globally, 37 percent of the youth are account holders

13 percent of the youth (age 15-24) in MENA reported having an account at a formal financial

institution

20 percent of adults between age 25-64 have an account,

17 percent of the youth in Sub-Saharan Africa have accounts

GLOBAL FINDEX BARRIERS TO ACCOUNT USE

70 percent of all unbanked and

70 percent of unbanked youth in

MENA choose “Not enough money”

High cost (“account is too

expensive”) also a significant barrier

for the youth

Youth more likely to cite indirect

use (“another family member has

account”) than older adults

GLOBAL FINDEX ACCOUNTS AND PAYMENTS

16 percent of adults in SSA use a

mobile phone to pay bills, send or

receive money in the past 12 months

68 percent of adults in Kenya use

mobile technology.

Only 3 percent of all adults in MENA

report having used mobile money in the

past year.

Only about 3 percent of the youth in

MENA reports having used mobile

money in the past year. Lowest use of

mobile money among youth in all

regions (eg: 3 percent in South Asia, 7

percent in High Income economies).

What explains this gap?

GLOBAL FINDEX SAVING

Approx. 40 percent of adults in MENA saved in the past year; lower than High Income

countries, SSA

19 percent of the youth (age 15-24) savers in MENA – compared to 25 percent of older adults

(age 25-64) and 18 percent of adults over the age of 65

17 percent of younger females (age 15-24) reported saving in MENA

GLOBAL FINDEX CREDIT AND RISK MANAGEMENT

Youth in MENA less likely to have formal credit than older adults (2.7 percent of youth borrow formally vs. almost 8

percent of adults aged 25-64 and 3 percent of adults over the age of 65)

Family and friends are the most common source of credit for all adults (31 percent) and youth (28 percent) in MENA

Only 3 percent of the youth in MENA borrowed from a formal financial institution in the past year (vs. 7 percent of

adults aged 25-64)

Young females (age 15-24) less likely to borrow in MENA than those in other regions

GLOBAL FINDEX ACCOUNTS AND PAYMENTS: USE

20 percent of all adults in MENA use their account to make 3 or more deposits a month, less than in

Sub-Saharan Africa

Youth in MENA use their accounts less than older adults, for both deposits and withdrawals a month

14 percent of youth use their account to make 3 or more deposits

23 percent of youth use their account to make 3 or more withdrawals

GLOBAL FINDEX LOOKING AHEAD

What to look for in 2014….

1) Closing the gap for the youth?

2) Progress in financial inclusion levels for the region overall?

3) Movement in self-reported barriers to access?

4) Growth of mobile money?

5) Changes in uses of accounts and frequency of use?

6) Islamic Banking?

There is much more information on the Global Findex website:

Report and Notes (extended versions)

The complete questionnaire (in 141 languages)

The complete micro and country-level database, including data on:

• The use of accounts to receive payments from the government, employers, family

• The use bank agents

• Frequency and mode of account access

• Prevalence of informal saving and borrowing

• The use of mobile money

Analytical tools to make customized maps and graphs

GLOBAL FINDEX WEBSITE

GLOBAL FINDEX

www.worldbank.org/globalfindex