Despite considerable progress on reducing absolute global poverty over the last 20 years, worldwide, billions of people remain unbanked, uninsured and without assets or savings. In the midst of the global pandemic, those without access to formal financial services have suffered disproportionately.
This issue of Spectrum explores why financial inclusion should be an essential part of ‘building back better’, not just as a moral imperative, but as a significant economic opportunity which offers real benefits for society as a whole.