There is growing evidence that financially inclusive countries are more financially stable and exhibit better micro- and macro-economic conditions conducive to financial well-being of individual consumers. In order to produce significant economic and societal benefits, financial inclusion needs...

The survey aims to comprehensively and comparatively analyze how regulators from both developing and developed economies are regulating and supervising online alternative finance activities. The current gap is between the demand for finance by small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) and...

Section one of the paper provides a broad overview of the nature and objectives of the projects. Section two contains an objective view of the impact of FIRST funded projects on the growth in insurance markets as measured by insurance market penetration. Rigorous data analysis was used to...

News headlines over the last few years have been filled with global scandals involving corruption on an unprecedented scale. They touch virtuallyevery continent, from Asia to Africa, Europe, and the Americas. The scale, magnitude, and sophistication of the operations has increasingly risen to...

The World Bank Treasury's Reserve Advisory and Management Partnership (RAMP) conducted its third survey on reserve management practices in 2021. One hundred and nineteen central banks, from different regions, income groups, and reserve levels, contributed to the survey, which included questions...

Implicit contingent liabilities, such as those generated by natural disasters, are often not quantified in the government balance sheet. However, when they materialize, they place pressure on government finances that may raise interest expenditures and financial risks. Understanding the impacts...

The war in Ukraine is a human tragedy for the people of Ukraine, but its economic implications are global. This instant report focuses on the direct impact of the war on world trade and investment. It identifies five trade and investment channels through which countries will be affected by the...

The 2022 Global State of Financial Inclusion and Consumer Protection (FICP) Report is an update to the 2013 and 2017 FICP reports. These surveys aim to provide a timely source of global data to benchmark efforts by financial sector authorities to improve the enabling environment for financial...