Financial Inclusion Data

Data has a fundamental role in establishing a common understanding of the current state of financial inclusion. It can be used by regulators, policymakers and both financial and non-financial service providers. Data is present in all policymaking processes, from the diagnosis of the state of financial inclusion and baseline indicators, to defining appropriate policies, setting financial inclusion targets, and monitoring and evaluation to provide a feedback loop in order to adjust targets and initiate policy reforms.

The main stages for measuring financial inclusion are:

• Country-specific definitions of financial inclusion
• Identification of data needs and data gaps
• Data collection
• Data analysis, reporting and dissemination

The proper application of good data is paramount to promoting evidence-based financial inclusion policies. The measurement of financial inclusion is more than just numbers and statistics. It is ultimately about people and how best to understand and communicate their needs and support the design of appropriate policies and regulations.

Parallel global trends include: national data frameworks and financial inclusion indicators and indices; a proper data segmentation including sex-disaggregated data, activity, age and location; measuring quality and social impact; innovative measurement tools and frameworks; data reporting and dissemination.

Fundamental and emerging topics under financial inclusion data (FID) are explored in-depth through AFI’s Financial Inclusion Data Working Group (FIDWG).

FID and gender

The collection and analysis of sex-disaggregated data is essential to bridging the financial inclusion gender gap, as it can both inform evidence-based financial inclusion policymaking and track the effectiveness of efforts to address barriers faced by women