The Digital Financial Inclusion Index: A Cross-Country Comparison

Tuğba Güz; Gülden Poyraz

Article Details

The Digital Financial Inclusion Index: A Cross-Country Comparison

Authors:

Tuğba Güz | Gülden Poyraz

Publisher:

Istanbul University

Main Topics:

Ekonomi

Journal:

İktisat Politikası Araştırmaları Dergisi Vol.10 Issue 1, pp.157-180

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

1/2023

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001284649

pISSN:

2148-3876

Keywords:

Abstract:

 The increasing impact of digitalization on the financial system and widespread use of technological devices such as smartphones that facilitate participation and access to the financial system in almost every segment of society have been this studys motivating factor for creating a Digital Financial Inclusion Index DFII. By following the methodology the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development used to create a combined index, the study examines the DFI levels and developments of 75 countries whose data can be accessed over a DFII calculated for the years 2017 and 2021 in comparison with current data. Within three years, the index values of the countries included in the DFII are seen to have increased or remained the same. High-income countries are seen to rank at the top of the DFII while the less developed countries with low income levels are found at the bottom. In addition, in order to compare the DFII values of the 75 countries covered in the index according to their income levels, the study divided the countries into four groups based on the World Bank income group classifications of high-income, upper-middle-income, lower-middle-income, and low-income brackets. Within three years, no significant difference was seen to have occurred between the average index values of countries in each income group, with very small increases occurring in their index values. In this process, lower-middle income countries increased their average DFII values by a very small margin of 0.02 compared to the high-income countries and of 0.01 compared to the upper-middle-income countries.

 The increasing impact of digitalization on the financial system and widespread use of technological devices such as smartphones that facilitate participation and access to the financial system in almost every segment of society have been this studys motivating factor for creating a Digital Financial Inclusion Index DFII. By following the methodology the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development used to create a combined index, the study examines the DFI levels and developments of 75 countries whose data can be accessed over a DFII calculated for the years 2017 and 2021 in comparison with current data. Within three years, the index values of the countries included in the DFII are seen to have increased or remained the same. High-income countries are seen to rank at the top of the DFII while the less developed countries with low income levels are found at the bottom. In addition, in order to compare the DFII values of the 75 countries covered in the index according to their income levels, the study divided the countries into four groups based on the World Bank income group classifications of high-income, upper-middle-income, lower-middle-income, and low-income brackets. Within three years, no significant difference was seen to have occurred between the average index values of countries in each income group, with very small increases occurring in their index values. In this process, lower-middle income countries increased their average DFII values by a very small margin of 0.02 compared to the high-income countries and of 0.01 compared to the upper-middle-income countries.

 The increasing impact of digitalization on the financial system and widespread use of technological devices such as smartphones that facilitate participation and access to the financial system in almost every segment of society have been this studys motivating factor for creating a Digital Financial Inclusion Index DFII. By following the methodology the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development used to create a combined index, the study examines the DFI levels and developments of 75 countries whose data can be accessed over a DFII calculated for the years 2017 and 2021 in comparison with current data. Within three years, the index values of the countries included in the DFII are seen to have increased or remained the same. High-income countries are seen to rank at the top of the DFII while the less developed countries with low income levels are found at the bottom. In addition, in order to compare the DFII values of the 75 countries covered in the index according to their income levels, the study divided the countries into four groups based on the World Bank income group classifications of high-income, upper-middle-income, lower-middle-income, and low-income brackets. Within three years, no significant difference was seen to have occurred between the average index values of countries in each income group, with very small increases occurring in their index values. In this process, lower-middle income countries increased their average DFII values by a very small margin of 0.02 compared to the high-income countries and of 0.01 compared to the upper-middle-income countries.

 Dijitalleşmenin finansal sistem üzerinde giderek artan etkisi ve toplumun hemen her kesiminin finansal sisteme katılımını ve erişimini kolaylaştıran akıllı telefonlar gibi teknolojik cihazların oldukça yaygın kullanımı, bu çalışmada Dijital Finansal Kapsayıcılık Endeksini DFKE oluşturmak ve ülkeler arasında karşılaştırma yapmak için motivasyon unsuru olmuştur. Çalışmada, OECDnin birleşik endeks oluşturmak için kullandığı metodoloji takip edilerek, 2017 ve 2021 yılları için hesapladığımız DFKE üzerinden, verilerine ulaşılabilen 75 ülkenin DFK düzeyleri ve gelişimleri güncel veriler ile karşılaştırmalı olarak incelenmiştir. Genel olarak üç yıl içinde, DFKEye dahil olan tüm ülkelerin endeks değerlerinde bir artış olduğu veya ülkelerin endeks değerini koruduğu görülmüştür. Ele alınan yıllar arasında, DFKEnin üst sıralarında yüksek gelir seviyesine sahip ülkeler yer alırken; alt sıralarda genellikle düşük gelir seviyelerine sahip az gelişmiş ülkeler yer almaktadır. Çalışmada ayrıca, endeksde ele alınan 75 ülkenin DFKE değerlerini gelir düzeylerine göre karşılaştırmak amacıyla ülkeler, Dünya Bankası gelir grubu sınıflandırılması baz alınarak; yüksek gelir, üst-orta gelir, orta gelir ve altındaki ve alt gelir grubundaki ülkeler olmak üzere dört gruba ayrılmıştır. Üç yıl içinde, tüm gelir gruplarındaki ülkelerin ortalama endeks değerleri arasında önemli bir fark olmadığı ve endeks değerlerinde çok küçük bir artış olduğu görülmüştür. Bu süreçte, orta gelir grubu ve altındaki ülkelerin ortalama DFKE değerlerini, yüksek gelir grubundaki ülkelere göre 0.02, üst-orta gelir grubundaki ülkelere göre ise 0.01 gibi çok küçük bir farkla yükselttikleri görülmüştür.

Article Details

The Digital Financial Inclusion Index: A Cross-Country Comparison

Authors:

Tuğba Güz | Gülden Poyraz

Publisher:

Istanbul University

Main Topics:

Ekonomi

Journal:

İktisat Politikası Araştırmaları Dergisi Vol.10 Issue 1, pp.157-180

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

1/2023

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001284649

pISSN:

2148-3876

Digital financial inclusion index

Digitization

Digital finance

Finance

Financial inclusion

Finansal kapsayıcılık endeksi

dijitalleşme

dijital finans

finans

finansal kapsayıcılık

Issues

Article Details

Authors: Tuğba Güz | Gülden Poyraz

Publisher: Istanbul University

Main Topics: Ekonomi

Journal: İktisat Politikası Araştırmaları Dergisi Vol.10 Issue 1, pp.157-180

Document Type: Article

Publication Date: 1/2023

Document Language: Turkish

Document ID (Org No.): 2001284649

pISSN: 2148-3876

Issues

Authors:

Tuğba Güz | Gülden Poyraz

Publisher:

Istanbul University

Main Topics:

Ekonomi

Journal:

İktisat Politikası Araştırmaları Dergisi Vol.10 Issue 1, pp.157-180

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

1/2023

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001284649

pISSN:

2148-3876