Measuring financial inclusion: The access and usage dimension

Abstract

Universal access to formal financial services, has been the priority among the policy makers, across all the countries. Financial Inclusion ensures that poor and vulnerable sections of the society, get an opportunity, to participate in the formal financial system, which reduces economic inequality and promotes economic growth. Financial inclusion is a key enabler, in the fight towards poverty eradication and fostering the economic growth. While there is an increasing focus on financial inclusion policies and initiatives, across all countries, there is also an increasing focus on the standards of measuring progress. Measuring the progress of financial inclusion is important not only to check the progress but also to keep it as a base, to fix up ambitious financial inclusion targets for the future. It is in this context that measuring financial inclusion becomes critical. The present study focuses on measuring the financial access and usage dimensions of financial services.