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Financial Inclusion, Shocks and Poverty: Evidence from the Expansion of Mobile Money in Tanzania

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  • Abiona, Olukorede

    (University of Leicester)

  • Koppensteiner, Martin Foureaux

    (University of Surrey)

Abstract

We estimate the effect of mobile money adoption on consumption smoothing, poverty and human capital investments in Tanzania. We exploit the rapid expansion of the mobile money agent network between 2010 and 2012 and combine this with idiosyncratic shocks from variation in rainfall over time and across space in an instrumented DiD methodology. We find that adopter households are able to smooth consumption during periods of shocks and maintain their investments in human capital. Results on time use of children and labor force participation complement the findings on the important role of mobile money for the intergenerational transmission of poverty.

Suggested Citation

  • Abiona, Olukorede & Koppensteiner, Martin Foureaux, 2018. "Financial Inclusion, Shocks and Poverty: Evidence from the Expansion of Mobile Money in Tanzania," IZA Discussion Papers 11928, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp11928
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    Cited by:

    1. Anna Josephson, 2021. "Intra-Household Management of Joint Resources: Evidence from Malawi," Papers 2112.12766, arXiv.org, revised Apr 2022.
    2. Ahmad Hassan Ahmad & Christopher Green & Fei Jiang, 2020. "Mobile Money, Financial Inclusion And Development: A Review With Reference To African Experience," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 34(4), pages 753-792, September.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    human capital accumulation; mobile money; household shocks; rainfall; poverty; Tanzania;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G23 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Non-bank Financial Institutions; Financial Instruments; Institutional Investors
    • H31 - Public Economics - - Fiscal Policies and Behavior of Economic Agents - - - Household
    • I31 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General Welfare, Well-Being
    • I32 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Measurement and Analysis of Poverty

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