Improving digital financial services inclusion: A panel data analysis

Abstract

The first goal of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is the absence of poverty to be achieved by 2030. Thus, access to and usage of financial services play an important role in achieving this, where ICT and digital technologies are the main tools, that describe it as a digital financial service (DFS). It defines the provision of financial services and products through digital channels (mobile phone, cards, Internet etc.), and where DFS can be used remotely. DFS inclusion means to increase an access and usage of DFS through digital channels. We collected data for two years (Findex, 2014 & 2017) in 120 countries, overall 240 observation, and with depended variable as DFS inclusion, and independent 12 variables, such as GDP per capita, ATMs per adults, basic skills, Internet usage, mobile subscription, mobile 3G & 4G coverages (separately), mobile internet tariffs, handset prices, political stability, control of corruption and cybersecurity. In general, the regression yielded good results. Factors such as GDP per capita, political stability, control of corruption, mobile 4G coverage, ATMs per adults and mobile Internet tariffs are statistically significant factors for DFS inclusion. In addition, the r-squared value shows more than 0.8 in all models (running with 3G coverage, 4G coverage, both and also with dummy variable).