China has achieved remarkable success in financial inclusion. China's rate of account ownership - a basic metric of financial inclusion - has increased significantly in the past two decades and is now on par with that of other G-20 countries. Traditional financial service providers have dramatically increased the reach of the formal financial sector, including through the world's largest agent banking network. China has also been an established leader in the fintech revolution, with new technology-driven providers transforming how millions of Chinese consumers make payments, borrow, save, invest, and insure themselves against risk. This report examines in detail China's approach to financial inclusion over the past 15 years. The report benchmarks China's progress against peer economies and analyzes key developments and factors in China's financial inclusion experience. The report also outlines remaining challenges to achieving further advances in financial inclusion in China, and distills key lessons policymakers from other countries can learn from China's experience. The report was written jointly by the People's Bank of China (PBOC) and the World Bank Group.

" This report examines in detail China’s approach to financial inclusion over the past 15 years. The report benchmarks China’s progress against peer economies and analyzes key developments and factors in China’s financial inclusion experience. It also outlines remaining challenges to achieving further advances in financial inclusion in China, and distills key lessons policymakers from other countries can learn from China’s experience."--Abstract.

This book aims to provide first-hand information for readers who are concerned about inclusive finance and sustainable development by summarizing China’s policy measures and practical innovations in the development of inclusive finance and expects to provide China’s experience for the development of inclusive finance in more regions. From a worldwide perspective, a large number of people had been excluded from formal financial services for a long time due to various factors. Even in developed economies with sound financial systems, relatively disadvantaged groups are often denied access to effective financial services. In 2005, the United Nations proposed the concept of Inclusive Finance, emphasizing the extension of financial services to less developed regions and low-income groups in society at an affordable cost by improving financial infrastructure and providing them with reasonably priced and convenient financial services. In 2015, the United Nations adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, making inclusive finance an important focus for achieving sustainable development. It has become a global consensus to vigorously develop inclusive finance. China has attached importance to improving financial services for disadvantaged groups such as rural residents, micro-, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and others. In 2013, Developing “Inclusive Finance” became China’s national strategy. In 2015, China formulated the Plan for Promoting the Development of Inclusive Finance (2016-2020). In 2016, during its presidency of the Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion (GPFI), China proposed the issue of "Digital Financial Inclusion" and issued the G20 High-level Principles for Digital Financial Inclusion at the G20 Hangzhou Summit in the same year. Through policy guidance and active practice by the financial sector, China has gradually formed a unique development model of inclusive finance and achieved remarkable successes. Physical outlets, service machines and online service channels have been improved, and basic financial services have generally covered both urban and rural areas. The financial services for rural households and MSMEs have improved significantly. The efficiency and convenience of financial services have been significantly improved, and the satisfaction of financial services has significantly increased. China's experience in inclusive finance has been recognized by the international community. In 2017, five cases from China were selected in the G20 report on Digital Financial Inclusion: Emerging Policy Approaches.

In 2011 the World Bank—with funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation—launched the Global Findex database, the world's most comprehensive data set on how adults save, borrow, make payments, and manage risk. Drawing on survey data collected in collaboration with Gallup, Inc., the Global Findex database covers more than 140 economies around the world. The initial survey round was followed by a second one in 2014 and by a third in 2017. Compiled using nationally representative surveys of more than 150,000 adults age 15 and above in over 140 economies, The Global Findex Database 2017: Measuring Financial Inclusion and the Fintech Revolution includes updated indicators on access to and use of formal and informal financial services. It has additional data on the use of financial technology (or fintech), including the use of mobile phones and the Internet to conduct financial transactions. The data reveal opportunities to expand access to financial services among people who do not have an account—the unbanked—as well as to promote greater use of digital financial services among those who do have an account. The Global Findex database has become a mainstay of global efforts to promote financial inclusion. In addition to being widely cited by scholars and development practitioners, Global Findex data are used to track progress toward the World Bank goal of Universal Financial Access by 2020 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The database, the full text of the report, and the underlying country-level data for all figures—along with the questionnaire, the survey methodology, and other relevant materials—are available at www.worldbank.org/globalfindex.

Technology is changing the landscape of the financial sector, increasing access to financial services in profound ways. These changes have been in motion for several years, affecting nearly all countries in the world. During the COVID-19 pandemic, technology has created new opportunities for digital financial services to accelerate and enhance financial inclusion, amid social distancing and containment measures. At the same time, the risks emerging prior to COVID-19, as digital financial services developed, are becoming even more relevant.

Describes how China is in the lead in transforming finance for the digital age This book is the product of a joint research project between economists at the National School of Development, especially the affiliated Institute of Digital Finance, at Peking University and at the Brookings Institution. It investigates the impact of financial technology on job creation, income distribution, and consumer welfare in China. It also examines larger systemic issues such as monetary policy, stability of the banking sector, and international trade and payments.

Financial inclusion is a multidimensional concept and countries have chosen diverse methods of enhancing financial inclusion with varying degrees of results. The heterogeneity of financial inclusion is particularly striking in the Asia-Pacific region as member countries range from those that are at the cutting edge of financial technology to others that are aiming to provide access to basic financial services. The wide disparity is not only inter-country but also intra-country. The focus of this paper is to take stock of the current state of financial inclusion in the Asia-Pacific region by highlighting twelve stylized facts about the state of financial inclusion in these countries. The paper finds that the state of financial inclusion depends on several factors, but a holistic approach calibrated to specific country conditions may lead to greater financial inclusion.