Financial Inclusion in Asia and Beyond: Measurement, Development Gaps, and Economic Consequences (Routledge-ERIA Studies in Development Economics)

The World Bank considers financial inclusion to be an enabler for at least 7 of the 17 United Nation’s sustainable development goals (SDGs). Financial inclusion, with its associated policy implications, is an important issue for ASEAN. This book examines the economic effects of financial inclusion. It explores issues surrounding measurement and impact of financial inclusion.

The book looks at various, salient topics including measurement of financial inclusion, the impact of (various indicators of) financial inclusion on development outcomes and macroeconomic volatility using aggregate data, as well as the effects of financial inclusion on poverty and development outcomes using micro data.

Tony Cavoli is associate professor in economics at the University of South Australia Business School. His research interests span the areas of international macroeconomics and finance, and he has published widely on such topics as exchange rate regimes and monetary policies, capital flows, economic and financial integration, financial inclusion, and development policy. He is currently the deputy editor of the Journal of International Commerce, Economics and Policy, and is also on the executive board of the American Committee on Asian Economic Studies.

Rashesh Shrestha is an economist at the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA) based in Indonesia. He conducts research on trade, human capital, and labour markets, and leads various projects related to economic development and integration of Southeast Asian countries. Before joining ERIA, he was an associate lecturer at the Australian National University. He obtained his PhD in applied economics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.