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Colonial Legacy and Informal Finance

Author

Listed:
  • Jiafu An

    (Department of Real Estate and Construction, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China)

  • Chen Lin

    (Faculty of Business and Economics, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China)

  • Mingzhu Tai

    (Faculty of Business and Economics, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China)

Abstract

An influential line of research emphasizes that colonial legacy plays a key role in formal financial development. Can colonial legacy also shape informal finance? We investigate the impact of colonial legacy on informal financial development using a manually georeferenced data set within a credible empirical framework. In the 19th century, Europeans arbitrarily designed colonial borders that partitioned many ethnicities across multiple countries in Africa. Leveraging several spatial regression discontinuity designs across national borders and within British-French–partitioned Cameroon and a unique natural experiment where the same former British colony is compared with two otherwise similar areas with different exposures to French colonization, we discover that former British colonies today have better informal financial development than former French colonies. Exploring the channels, we find that places with a British colonial legacy maintain a style of social control that facilitates information flow, supports private enforcement and market interactions, and promotes strong legal cultures.

Suggested Citation

  • Jiafu An & Chen Lin & Mingzhu Tai, 2025. "Colonial Legacy and Informal Finance," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 71(5), pages 4318-4343, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:inm:ormnsc:v:71:y:2025:i:5:p:4318-4343
    DOI: 10.1287/mnsc.2023.01856
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