Financial Literacy: An Intra-Household Case Study from West Bengal, India

Abstract

The study is an exercise to identify the presence of intra-household gender disparities in financial literacy levels between male and female decision-makers of the family (identified as male and female household heads) using data from a primary survey conducted in 24 Parganas (North), West Bengal, India. The survey shows the existence of significant intra-household gender gap in financial literacy. We also found that the female household heads with low financial literacy use mass media less intensively. Further, the study identifies that financial literacy is low for respondents in families with low levels of income and asset. Financial literacy improves with the use of mass media and education level. Interestingly, the higher the age of respondents the less are they financially literate. JEL Classifications: D19, J16, G190