This book can be purchased at the World Bank website.This study investigates the relationship between financial sector development and progress in reaching the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).We assess the contribution of countries' financial sector development to achieving the MDGs. We...

"This paper reviews the evidence on the importance of finance for economic well-being, provides data on the degree of use of basic financial services by households and firms across a sample of countries, assesses the desirability of more universal access, and overviews the macroeconomic, legal,...

This article reviews the evidence on the importance of finance for economic well-being. It provides data on the use of basic financial services by households and firms across a sample of countries, assesses the desirability of universal access, and provides an overview of the macroeconomic,...

This paper reviews the evidence on the importance of finance for economic well-being, provides data on the degree of use of basic financial services by households and firms across a sample of countries, assesses the desirability of more universal access, and overviews the macroeconomic, legal,...

We provide a framework to interpret the recent literature on financial development and inequality. In many developing countries, access to funding and financial services by firms and households is still very skewed. Recent evidence suggests that poor access does not only reflect economic...

The behavior of actors in financial systems depends crucially on the incentives that motivate them. The right regulation, supervision, and incentives (including the scope of permissible activities, degree of contestability, and extent of safety net) for financial services can make the sector...