-
1.3 Million Square Miles of Financial Inclusion: New MIX report offers granular data on India
India is currently home to 21 percent of the world’s unbanked adults, a problem the government is addressing through its ambitious financial inclusion plan. Ensuring that this and other efforts are effective requires a detailed understanding of the distribution of financial service access points, through granular, subnational data. MIX has created a custom tool to provide this, and Nikhil Gehani describes what it has found.
- Categories
- Education
-
How Is the Growing Middle Class Affecting the Emerging Markets?
The world's middle class is growing. According to Pew Research Center, 63 million people entered Latin America's middle class over the last decade; it is estimated that Nigeria's middle class grew by 600 percent between 2000 and 2014.
- Categories
- Education, Health Care
-
MOOCs on the Move
s MOOCs grow in influence and sophistication, they’re no longer simply reimagined in a Harvard classroom or even in a nearby studio. Recently, transforming a residential course — going digital viaHarvardX — included filming in far-flung Rwanda and Haiti.
- Categories
- Education, Health Care, Technology
-
Tablets + Smartphones = Easier Microloans?: New Accion case study explores use of digital field applications by microfinance banks
Providing micro financial services often involves manual processes which limit the potential for scaling up and expose clients to poor service, errors and fraud. That's why many microfinance banks are increasing the use of tablets, smartphones and other digital tools among loan officers and other staff. Accion has published a case study aiming to provide some clarity on the impact of these devices.
- Categories
- Education, Technology, Telecommunications
-
Health Care, Education Are Top Priorities in Sub-Saharan Africa
As the United Nations prepares to ratify new global development goals, a new Pew Research Center survey finds that people in major sub-Saharan African nations are feeling more optimistic about the future than many others around the world. Having experienced relatively high rates of economic growth in recent years, African publics are more likely than citizens of many wealthier nations to believe their economies will improve in the short run, and that in the long run the next generation will be better off financially.
- Categories
- Education, Health Care
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
-
Has the high court just thrown a lifeline to doctor-starved rural India?
Rural India is reeling from a shortage of doctors and medical personnel. To address this, a three-year course to train medical personnel was proposed. However, the MCI opposed the proposed course and failed to implement it. Now, the Delhi high court has ordered that it be implemented within six months.
- Categories
- Education, Health Care
- Region
- South Asia
-
Rising Star or Red Flag?: South Africa’s financial inclusion growth raises questions for the entire industry
South Africa placed second in a recent Brookings Institute study comparing financial inclusion in 21 developing countries – surpassed only by Kenya. But though this has led to celebration in some quarters, there’s a troubling aspect to these findings. Illana Melzer argues that the risks of burgeoning financial access and usage are too significant for beneficiaries, development organizations and donors to ignore.
- Categories
- Education, Impact Assessment
-
Taking Financial Inclusion Data to the Next Level: National data is useful – but it’s not enough
The era of “big data” has fully arrived in the financial inclusion industry. But while existing data platforms are beginning to fill the gaps in national measures of inclusion, this information may not reflect the situation on the ground. That's why the next iteration of financial inclusion data needs to drill down to the subnational level to increase clarity around financial service access, usage and quality.
- Categories
- Education
Subscribe to Our 'Business in Global Development' Newsletter!
Our new weekly LinkedIn newsletter features NextBillion's latest original articles, along with curated news, jobs, bizdev opportunities and events from our recent coverage of impact-focused business in emerging markets.
We respect your privacy. Your information is safe and will never be shared.
Don't miss out. Subscribe today.