About financial inclusion
Financial inclusion is the provision of basic financial services (savings, payments, money transfers) to people without access to such services.
Some 1.5 billion people worldwide are already using the financial services provided by Posts.
The UPU helps its member countries to introduce or develop inclusive and sustainable financial services. As an information and technical assistance platform for the postal sector, the UPU is an ideal partner for lending institutions and donors in the effort to make postal financial services accessible to the most disadvantaged populations.
Global Panorama on Postal Financial Inclusion: Business Models and Key Issues
This report establishes a panorama of postal financial inclusion and presents, for the very first time, the current status of this dimension in financial inclusion.
Based on a questionnaire answered by 123 UPU member countries and the concrete lessons drawn from field missions, the report aims to bridge both the information and awareness gaps on the role of Posts in financial inclusion by providing updated statistical information on postal operators. It is intended for decision makers and development partners alike, and is one of the key tools in solving financial exclusion issues.
Executive summary - French
Executive summary - Arabic
Executive summary - Spanish
Executive summary - Russian
Executive summary - Portuguese
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation supports the UPU’s work in the area of financial inclusion, which is aimed at the achievement of three main objectives:
- Research: identify success factors for the delivery of inclusive postal financial services which are accessible to disadvantaged populations while being profitable for postal operators.
- Communication: promote towards governments, central banks, designated operators and international organizations the potential of postal networks as key actors in the field of financial inclusion.
- Mobilization of resources: identify and select countries with a strong potential for developing inclusive postal financial services, mobilize resources, and support countries in their efforts to engage in negotiations and forge partnerships.
