Journal of Islamic Monetary Economics and Finance
Vol. 12 No. 3 (2026)

Determinants of Financial Inclusion in the OIC and OECD Countries: Are They Different?

Tengku Roziana (INCEIF University, Malaysia)
Mohamed Eskandar Shah (INCEIF University, Malaysia)
Mohamed Ariff (Universiti Malaya, Malaysia)
Mohammed Umar (Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar)



Article Info

Publish Date
31 Aug 2026

Abstract

Financial inclusion is a pivotal policy tool to integrate the underprivilege segments of society into the formal financial system. This issue is particularly important within predominantly Muslim nations, where poverty and inequality remain persistent challenges, and a substantial portion of the populace remains excluded from financial services. This seems to be paradoxical, especially given the substantial expansion of Islamic finance over the preceding decade. Therefore, this research aims to investigate the factors that determine financial inclusion within Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member states. To put our findings into perspective, we compare our analysis with Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries. We use Least Square Dummy Variable (LSDV) estimator across 35 OIC and OECD countries from the period of 2005 to 2021. Our study finds that in OIC countries income per capita, tertiary education attainment, institutional quality, internet accessibility, population and age dependency matter for financial inclusion. Unlike OECD, OIC countries have to make substantial investment on digital infrastructures, youth and women empowerment, and boosting income level. Lessons are also drawn for Islamic banking in these countries.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

JIMF

Publisher

Subject

Economics, Econometrics & Finance

Description

JIMF is an international peer-reviewed and scientific journal which is published quarterly by Bank Indonesia Institute. JIMF is a type of scientific journal (e-journal) in Islamic economics, monetary, and finance. By involving a large research communiy in an innovative public peer-review process, ...