Research & Analysis

Data Collection by Supervisors of Digital Financial Services

Digital financial services (DFS) have grown considerably in emerging markets and developing economies, where they are instrumental for financial inclusion. DFS supervision needs to ensure that this expansion happens in a way that facilitates sustained, healthy financial inclusion.

China's Alipay and WeChat Pay: Reaching Rural Users

This Brief explores the emergence, similarities, and differences between China's Alipay and WeChat Pay and the affects these elements may have on the way they compete in the rural arena.

Key Trends in International Funding for Financial Inclusion in 2016

The CGAP Cross-Border Funder Survey shows that funder commitments to financial inclusion reached a historic high of US$37 billion in 2016.

The Impact of Smartphones on Financial Inclusion

Regulatory Framework for DFS in Côte d’Ivoire

This diagnostic provides an analysis of the regulatory framework for DFS in Côte d’Ivoire, including its coverage, conducive features, and gaps and obstacles. The paper also offers recommendations on how to address these issues.

Insights from the Household Survey in Nigeria

Measuring Market Development

Monitoring and evaluation is an increasingly prominent aspect of development programs. This Handbook guides funders and their implementing partners on how to effectively measure results of financial inclusion programs that apply a systemic approach.

National Survey and Segmentation of Smallholder Households in Nigeria

This survey explores the agricultural and non-agricultural activities, financial practices and interests, and challenges and aspirations of over 3,300 smallholder families throughout Nigeria.

Applying the RIA Lite Methodology: An Example from Pakistan

This study looks at Pakistan’s nearly decade-old experience with regulating digital financial services (referred in the local context as branchless banking) as a test case for the RIA Lite methodology,

Regulatory Sandboxes and Financial Inclusion

Regulatory sandboxes may enable financial innovations that benefit excluded and underserved customers. In most cases, a regulatory sandbox is a framework set up by a financial sector regulator to allow small-scale, live testing of innovations by private firms in a controlled environment under the regulator’s supervision.