Introducing a New Broad-based Index of Financial Development

Download or read book Introducing a New Broad-based Index of Financial Development written by Katsiaryna Svirydzenka and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2016-01-12 with total page 43 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There is a vast body of literature estimating the impact of financial development on economic growth, inequality, and economic stability. A typical empirical study approximates financial development with either one of two measures of financial depth – the ratio of private credit to GDP or stock market capitalization to GDP. However, these indicators do not take into account the complex multidimensional nature of financial development. The contribution of this paper is to create nine indices that summarize how developed financial institutions and financial markets are in terms of their depth, access, and efficiency. These indices are then aggregated into an overall index of financial development. With the coverage of 183 countries on annual frequency between 1980 and 2013, the database should offer a useful analytical tool for researchers and policy makers.