Financial Inclusion, Financial Literacy and Economically Vulnerable Populations in the Middle East and North Africa

Project description

Using microdata from the 2014 Global Findex, along with macroeconomic indicators, we investigate financial inclusion for the MENA region. We find that economically vulnerable populations are significantly less likely to be financially included. Households living in MENA countries with higher levels of financial literacy are more likely to be engaged in positive savings behaviors and less likely to be borrowing, especially from informal sources. Financial literacy and other macro characteristics, however, do not relate to all individuals equally, especially for those most vulnerable. The findings have important implications for policies in the MENA region, where prolonged conflicts make financial inclusion an even more urgent, yet challenging, goal.

Researchers

First name Last name Gender Rank Affiliated Institution Country
Angela Lyons Female United States of America

Bio: Angela Lyons is an Associate Professor and the Director for the Center for Economic and Financial Education at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in the U.S. She is widely recognized as an international expert in household and behavioral economics, focusing on economic and financial inclusion, financial and digital literacy, poverty and wealth inequality, and the financial security of vulnerable populations. She has assisted over 40 countries in designing practical and sustainable models to improve the financial stability of communities worldwide. She holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Texas at Austin. To learn more about Dr. Lyons, visit: http://ace.illinois.edu/directory/anglyons.

Josephine Kass-Hanna Female Saint Joseph University Lebanon

Bio: Josephine Kass-Hanna is an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Business Administration and Management at the Saint Joseph University of Beirut, Lebanon. Her research revolves around financial inclusion, financial and digital literacy, inequality, and economic security of vulnerable populations. Prior to joining academia, she worked for seven years as an auditor and consultant for SMEs. She holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Perpignan, France.

Website

 

Scientific field

Economics
 

Start Year

2016
 

End Year

2019
 

Social impact

Are you interested in disseminating your research work outside the academic institutions?

No

Are there institutions/organizations contacted you to disseminate your research project?

No

How did you disseminate your research work outside academic institutions?

What obstacles have you faced as you tried to facilitate the social impact of your research?