Does financial inclusion reduce informal savings? Evidence from Mexico

Pablo Cotler
Additional contact information
Pablo Cotler: Universidad Iberoamericana Mexico City

Working Paper Series Sobre México from Sobre México. Temas en economía

Abstract: This study examines the relationship between financial inclusion and the continued use of informal savings in Mexico, using data from three waves of the national financial inclusion survey and instrumental variable techniques. Despite increased account ownership, informal saving practices have not declined. Findings suggest that financial access, infrastructure, and education alone are insufficient to change saving behavior. Policies should consider incorporating features of informal mechanisms, such as rotating savings groups or cooperative models. A deeper understanding of household motivations are needed, and future surveys must capture user experiences to design more inclusive strategies that address persistent financial inequalities.

JEL-codes: D14 G21 O17 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025-09-02
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-dev, nep-fdg, nep-fle, nep-iue and nep-pay
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://sobremexico.ibero.mx/uploads/working_papers/wp-sm-2025-02-cotlerpdf.pdf First version, 2025 (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:smx:wpaper:2025002

Access Statistics for this paper

More papers in Working Paper Series Sobre México from Sobre México. Temas en economía
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Maria Alejandra Villegas Gutierrez ().