Advancing Financial Inclusion Metrics: Shifting from Access to Economic Empowerment

This white paper outlines a framework to better understand how data can be further employed to measure access and usage of financial services. The framework consists of 55 new metrics that will help measure the access, usage and impact of financial services in so-called “unbanked markets.” The metrics will allow organizations to develop business strategies and public policies to lift people out of poverty by financially including them as well as explore new business opportunities, as they allow a more granular analysis of available data and a higher focus on the consumer. 

The paper also aims to distil the relationship between accessing and using financial services and the resulting financial health. Considering financial inclusion as an enabler of improved living standards, relevant case studies of early schemes quantifying this correlation are highlighted.

Lastly, the publication makes a call to action for the financial inclusion community to integrate the framework presented into future collection surveys and shift measurements to focus on financial health.