How many people are using banking services in poor countries? What financial services are used? And how could access to banking services be expanded to include more people? 'Banking the Poor' explores these questions, through responses to questions in surveys undertaken in 54 countries, mostly in Africa.\ The biggest contribution of this study is new data. 'Banking the Poor' collects information from two sources: central banks and leading commercial banks in each surveyed country. It explores...
Banking the Poor explores level and determinants of financial access in 54 countries, mostly in Africa. It collects information from two sources: central banks and leading commercial banks in each surveyed country. It explores associations between countries' banking policies and practices and their levels of financial access, measured in terms of the numbers of bank account per thousand adults. It builds on the previous work measuring financial access through information from regulators, from banks, and also from users' perspectives in household surveys.