Financial Exclusion in Rural and Urban Contexts in Poland: A Threat to Achieving SDG Eight?

Sergio Náñez Alonso, Javier Jorge-Vazquez, Miguel Ángel Echarte Fernández, Konrad Kolegowicz and Wojciech Szymla
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Javier Jorge-Vazquez: DEKIS Research Group, Department of Economics, Catholic University of Ávila, 05005 Avila, Spain
Miguel Ángel Echarte Fernández: DEKIS Research Group, Department of Economics, Catholic University of Ávila, 05005 Avila, Spain
Konrad Kolegowicz: College of Management and Quality Sciences, Cracow University of Economics, Rakowicka 27, 31-510 Cracow, Poland
Wojciech Szymla: College of Management and Quality Sciences, Cracow University of Economics, Rakowicka 27, 31-510 Cracow, Poland

Land, 2022, vol. 11, issue 4, 1-21

Abstract: Financial inclusion, which consists of having a financial system that is easily accessible to citizens, is identified by various international organizations such as the new UN Agenda 2030, as a priority objective. This objective is particularly relevant in rural areas, where access to these services is more difficult, as citizens have to travel several kilometers to access them. In this study, we analyze the current situation of the Polish financial sector in terms of its accessibility, in order to measure the degree of financial inclusion. For this purpose, we use three combined methodologies. Initially, a data extraction from the Central Bank of Poland was carried out. Subsequently, three methodologies are applied to calculate financial inclusion. First, we apply the criteria of the Financial Access Survey (FAS) of the International Monetary Fund. Secondly, the Access to Cash Index (ACI) methodology by calculating a score that describes the access to banking services according to certain items. Finally, we applied the nearest neighbor methodology to detect in each voivodship those points where it is most difficult (measured in km distance) to access banking services. Some areas, especially in rural areas of the different voivodeships, present certain problems when it comes to accessing banking services. Therefore, the fulfillment of SDG 8.10 will be more difficult to achieve in these areas. The public authorities must pay attention to this, in order to reach the commitments acquired with the 2030 agenda, in terms of financial inclusion.

Keywords: social exclusion; financial exclusion; land economics; rural areas; spatial access to cash; access to cash index; sustainable development; sustainable access to cash; public policies (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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