The World Bank has come out with some useful and interesting data on financial inclusion worldwide. Here we give just a snapshot, focusing on the percentage of the population that has a banking account in each country, along with some other countries for comparison. Much to our surprise, Jamaica has the highest banked population in all of Latin America and the Caribbean, with 78 percent. Less surprising, Nicaragua comes in last at 19%, though there are some countries for which there are no data available (such as Paraguay). Perhaps the biggest shocker: Uruguay and Argentina, countries that are considered “middle income,” have very low rates with 46% of Uruguayans and 50% of Argentinians in the formal banking system.
For more data and to see our sources, please go to the World Bank’s page.
