There are about 1 billion people between 15 and 24 years of age in the world’s less developed regions. As they grow into adulthood, they will need support from many sources – including parents, trusted mentors, and social networks – and a variety of financial and non-financial services. Yet youth are a dynamic, heterogeneous group, which makes it a challenge for funders, financial services providers and others to meet their wide range of needs.

This blog series explores the challenge of youth financial inclusion from a variety of perspectives, drawing on expertise from Mastercard Foundation, UNCDF, MSC, Mercy Corps Agrifin Accelerate, Making Cents and CGAP. Bloggers look at the different ways young people are using digital financial services, the impact that technology and social norms have on young people’s livelihoods, the changing role of funders in youth financial inclusion and strategies that financial services providers can use to reach more young people.