Prices or Knowledge? What Drives Demand for Financial Services in Emerging Markets?
122 Pages Posted: 9 Apr 2009 Last revised: 14 Oct 2010
Date Written: October 12, 2010
Abstract
Financial development is critical for growth, but its micro-determinants are not well understood. We test leading theories of low demand for financial services in emerging markets, combining novel survey evidence from Indonesia and India with a field experiment. We find a strong correlation between financial literacy and behavior. However, a financial education program has modest effects, increasing demand for bank accounts only for those with low levels of education or financial literacy. In contrast, small subsidies greatly increase demand. A follow-up survey confirms these findings, demonstrating the newly opened accounts remain open and in use two years after the intervention.
Keywords: Banking and finance, financial institutions, field experiments, India, Indonesia, economic development, consumer finance, financial education
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