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Religiosity and the adoption of formal financial services

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  • Ji, Yaling

Abstract

Recent studies have suggested that institutional and economic factors are important drivers of financial inclusion. However, the effects of culture on the usage and adoption of formal financial services are not as widely understood. This paper explores the impact of religiosity on financial inclusiveness, utilizing aggregated data from individuals’ religious preferences and financial behaviors. The results suggest that higher levels of religiosity are negatively associated with the usage and adoption of formal financial services, both across U.S. states and across different countries. To explore possible causal implications, we exploit spatial variations in historical pathogen prevalence as the main instrument of our study.

Suggested Citation

  • Ji, Yaling, 2020. "Religiosity and the adoption of formal financial services," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 89(C), pages 378-396.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecmode:v:89:y:2020:i:c:p:378-396
    DOI: 10.1016/j.econmod.2019.11.002
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    1. Sabyasachi Tripathi & Meenakshi Rajeev, 2023. "Gender-Inclusive Development through Fintech: Studying Gender-Based Digital Financial Inclusion in a Cross-Country Setting," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-34, June.
    2. Lu, Weijie & Niu, Geng & Zhou, Yang, 2021. "Individualism and financial inclusion," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 183(C), pages 268-288.
    3. Stolbov, Mikhail & Shchepeleva, Maria, 2020. "What predicts the legal status of cryptocurrencies?," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 273-291.
    4. Ahsan Habib & Mabel D' Costa & Ahmed Khamis Al‐Hadi, 2023. "Consequences of local social norms: A review of the literature in accounting, finance, and corporate governance," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 63(1), pages 3-45, March.
    5. Hsieh, Wen-Liang G. & Wu, Wei-Shao & Tu, Anthony H., 2022. "Religiosity and sovereign credit quality," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 84-103.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Religiosity; Financial inclusiveness; Pathogen prevalence;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O10 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - General
    • O40 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - General
    • Z12 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Religion

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