FINANCIAL INCLUSION, MOBILE BANKING: POST-PANDEMIC EVIDENCE
FROM CENTRAL ASIA
Isakov Olmas Kuchkarovich -
Westminster International University in Tashkent
Lecturer and PhD candidate
The econometric model employed in this article uses four financial inclusion indicators
as the response variables, while individual characteristics and socioeconomic statuses of adult
respondents from Central Asian countries are used as explanatory variables. According to the
findings, there is significant gender gap in only one of the financial inclusion indicators: the
odds of having an account at a financial institution are approximately 25% lower for women
compared to men. Moreover education, employment status, and income levels are significant
factors in determining the financial inclusivity of an individual. Owning a mobile phone and
having access to the Internet have significant positive relationships with financial inclusivity.
The age factor is also found to be significant and has nonlinear relationship with financial
inclusion.
Introduction.
Financial inclusion has received significant international attention during
the past decade. Indeed, The United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) has
positioned financial inclusion as a target in eight of its seventeen goals for 2030 Sustainable
Development Goals. According to the Global Findex Dataset published by the World Bank in
2021, about 1.4 billion adults across the world do not have an account at a financial institution
or through mobile money provider. Most of these unbanked individuals come from
developing economies but the indicators of financial inclusion have been improving in recent
years. Account ownership at financial institutions worldwide has increased by 50 percent
from 2011 to 2021, from 51 percent of adults to 76 percent of adults [1]. There has been some
progress in reducing the gap in access to financial services for underserved adults, such as
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