This study evaluates the degree of financial inclusion across Ecuador’s cantons in 2021 by constructing a composite index based on Spatial Principal Components Analysis. The index is designed to preserve spatial structure, enabling a territorial coherent interpretation of access and usage patterns. Cantons are subsequently classified into high and low levels of business and financial density, which serve as indicators of local economic and financial stratification. In addition, to examine the determinants of cantonal financial inclusion, the study estimates benchmark Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) and instrumental-variable Two-Stage Least Squares (IV–2SLS) models, the latter addressing the potential endogeneity of financial density. The results reveal non-random spatial clustering and territorial disparities in financial inclusion across cantons. In the determinants analysis, financial density emerges as the most robust positive predictor, while business density is also positively associated with financial inclusion in the benchmark OLS specification. By contrast, once territorial covariates are incorporated, the baseline Queen spatial diagnostics do not indicate residual spatial dependence. These findings suggest that the spatial structure of financial inclusion in Ecuador is primarily associated with territorial uneven covariates rather than with a robust residual spatial process. The results underscore the importance of territorial differentiated policies to address cantonal disparities in financial inclusion.
Stabilizing and expanding the development process in the post-World War II economic and socio-cultural context is influenced by two global geoeconomic and geopolitical momentums: (a) the last wave of globalization since 1980 and the expansion of capital in the Global South (geoeconomic momentum); and (b) the end of the Cold War in the 1990s and the collapse of the Eastern Bloc (geopolitical momentum). Many developing and southern countries entered the category of developed countries, and the World Bank—as one of the most influential policy-making organizations in global development—was forced to revise its dominant paradigm frameworks over the past three decades. The present study aims to determine the combined effect of the two events above on World Development Reports (WDRs) by analyzing the reports published between 1991 and 2020 through a kind of document analysis. The study seeks to answer how political, social, and economic events influence development policy within a global organization. The underlying assumption is that transitioning from market-oriented approaches to a more institution-based perspective, considering countries’ geographical and spatial conditions necessitates significant changes in current development policy. The study’s findings indicate that influenced by two above-mentioned momentums, the World Bank has moved away from its two previous positions, namely a smaller government and a free market economy as a driver of economic growth, and has acknowledged approaches including the significance of government and institutional policies, regulation in infrastructure, spatial and geographical criteria of development, and the possibility of capital-production activism of southern countries through the promotion of global value chains.
Drawing on data from the 2021 Chinese General Social Survey, this study explores the impact of using the internet-based search for health-related information on individual health and discovers that using the internet to search for health information is conducive to improving individual health. The outcomes of the research indicate that searching for health information via the internet heightens an individual’s reassurance perception about health issues, which improves individual health. Furthermore, the results of the heterogeneity analysis show that using the internet to seek health information enhances individual health among people with chronic health problems or disabilities. The research enriches the application of the conservation of resources theory and provides empirical support for a more in-depth understanding of the relationship between internet use and health.
This study conducts the first comprehensive quantitative meta-analysis of the human capital–economic growth nexus, combining 740 effect-size estimates from 51 empirical studies published between 1991 and 2023. The aggregate evidence indicates a positive but modest relationship: on average, a 1
This study examines whether digitally sophisticated users, who actively engage with multiple financial channels, such as mobile money, bank accounts, and online payments, exhibit greater economic resilience in the face of income shocks, a phenomenon conceptualized as Financial Darwinism. Using nationally representative Global Findex 2025 Microdata for Tanzania, and applying a survey-weighted ordered logit model, the analysis reveals a counterintuitive finding: Higher levels of digital sophistication are associated with lower financial resilience, as more digitally engaged households report shorter survival durations after income loss. Robustness checks using ordered probit and binary logistic models confirm the consistency of this negative relationship. These results suggest that while digital inclusion expands access to financial tools, it may also expose households to over-leverage, liquidity illusions, or behavioral overconfidence, weakening their long-term stability. The study contributes to emerging debates on the adaptive costs of digital transformation in finance, highlighting that technological inclusion without corresponding financial literacy and behavioral safeguards can lead to new forms of economic vulnerability. Policy implications call for integrating digital literacy, risk management education, and consumer protection frameworks into digital finance strategies to ensure that inclusion translates into true financial resilience rather than fragility.
This study examines household health status and healthcare-seeking behaviour for managing non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Kerala, India, characterized by an advanced demographic and epidemiological transition, an ageing population, and a pluralistic healthcare system in which modern and traditional systems, such as Ayurveda, coexist. Drawing on Andersen’s behavioural model and Kroeger’s Pathways and Determinants framework, and using data from 1,120 households across seven districts, the analysis employs a two-stage approach using logit and multinomial logit models to capture pathways from diagnosed NCDs to treatment-seeking behavior and healthcare choice. The findings indicate a high NCD burden, with 62 per cent of households reporting at least one condition. Logit results show that the likelihood of reporting diagnosed NCDs over the 365-day period is driven by need factors, particularly pre-existing conditions and age, while rural residence and larger household size increase this likelihood. Higher education among household heads is associated with a lower likelihood of reporting diagnosed NCDs. Estimated probabilities indicate that over 63 per cent of households are in high or very high NCD risk categories. Among households with NCDs, 87 per cent seek modern medicine, 5.4 per cent opt for Ayurveda, mainly for musculoskeletal conditions, and 7.4 per cent forgo treatment. Multinomial logit results show that healthcare choice is influenced by need, predisposing, and enabling factors. Ayurveda use is condition-specific and reflects informed preferences driven by accessibility, affordability, and trust, rather than substituting modern medicine. In contrast, treatment avoidance reflects constraints such as lack of insurance, poor access, and social disadvantage. The findings highlight the need to strengthen early detection, improve access and financial protection, and enhance coordination across healthcare systems to ensure equitable utilisation of healthcare services.
A large proportion of global missing female births are ascribed to India and it is generally argued that aborting female fetus is more common in North India. We sought to map the sex ratio (male to female) at birth in the districts of Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu to disprove that the southern part of India is different and provide actionable input to local administration. We used data from the Civil Registration System of India which provides data on the number of births by sex from 2019 when level of registration had crossed 90 per cent for India. Sex ratio at birth (male to female) for all the districts are mapped, and those reporting sex ratio greater than 1.07 are highlighted. Our study finds that missing female births continues to be a blot on India and it is prevalent both in North and South India. While Kerala is known for gender equality, major parts of both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu report female feticide which the Civil Registration System can clearly pinpoint. We further exploit the COVID 19 pandemic as a natural experiment, hypothesizing that lockdown restrictions may have limited access to sex-detection and abortion services, thus affecting SRB patterns. Paired t-test analyses—particularly for Karnataka—suggest measurable shifts in natal inequality during this period. Our findings underscore the value of CRS data in identifying local hotspots of prenatal gender bias, offering actionable insights for targeted administrative intervention and stricter monitoring of ultrasound clinics, hospitals and healthcare providers.
This paper aims to assess the impact of the National Family Security Grant Program (PNBSF) on the well-being of rural households in Senegal. The methodological approach was conducted in two stages. In the first stage, a difference-in-differences (DID) model based on surveys that were carried out in 2012 and between 2019 and 2021 was used. In the second stage, another cash transfer program called the Social Protection Initiative for Vulnerable Children (IPSEV in French) was incorporated into the model. The sample comprises 5958 households spread across the eight districts of the Linguère and Matam regions. The results show that households benefiting from the PNBSF are less likely to engage in cereal crop cultivation and more likely to increase the size of their small ruminant herds as a strategy to improve household welfare. However, the impact is more significant with the addition of the IPSEV program on household welfare. In terms of economic policy implications, the government must set up a structure that will coordinate all social programs and develop alliances with other projects or programs aimed at strengthening the economic well-being of households.
Based on 2019 China Household Finance Survey (CHFS), this article used the Tobit method to systematically and quantitatively analyze the relationship between poverty alleviation relocation (PAR) policy and the happiness of rural residents in China. Against the backdrop of China’s achievement in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects and its historic resolution of absolute poverty, scientifically evaluating the actual effect of the PAR policy—one of the core measures of targeted poverty alleviation—on residents’ subjective well-being carries significant practical implications for consolidating the gains in poverty alleviation, promoting common prosperity, and optimizing subsequent rural revitalization policies. The results showed that the PAR policy has a significantly positive effect of improving rural residents’ happiness. Heterogeneity analysis reveals significant differential impacts of the PAR policy on the happiness of rural residents across demographic and geographic dimensions. The mechanism analysis revealed that increases in both absolute and relative income served as critical channels for improving the subjective well-being of impoverished populations, with relative income exerting a significantly stronger influence on happiness enhancement.
The study provides a comparative analysis of the impact of pandemics and the level of economic uncertainty in the labour markets of low- and middle-income countries in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Although the impact of pandemics has received considerable attention to date, the analysis of pandemic asymmetric effects in the labour market and the role of economic uncertainty as a mediator of these effects has not yet been fully explored. Asymmetric panel Autoregressive Distributed Lag and Fixed/Random Effect models, as well as secondary data for the fourteen SSA countries, are employed in the analysis, which covers the sample period from 1996 to 2022. The findings demonstrate that a high frequency of pandemics significantly affects the labour market of low-income SSA countries over both the short and long run. However, the effects of pandemics are only short-term significant for middle-income SSA countries. Furthermore, high pandemic frequency itself triggers unemployment more in low-income countries, while the effect in middle-income countries depends on the economic uncertainty levels. The findings imply that low-income countries suffer more from pandemics than middle-income countries, given the severity of the effects. This could be mitigated through stronger social protection and labour market policies. Also, policymakers in low-income countries should give top priority to establishing their own economic strategies and be vigilant in assessing their current economic conditions.
Elderly care is one of the fastest growing areas of international concern due to increased life expectancy, low fertility, internal and international migration and burgeoning older populations. This introduction provides an overview of the multifaceted landscape of elderly care: critical issues, inherent challenges and possible opportunities. Specific key issues explored include the increasing prevalence of social and psychological issues among the caregivers and the care receivers, the high economic burden on both families and healthcare systems, and the pervasive problem of care systems. It points out the main challenges with the provision of effective care including the shortage of trained health professionals, the logistical difficulties in coordinating services for integrated care and the socio-economic status in accessing quality care. Despite all these barriers, there is a host of opportunities for innovation and improvement. The opportunities related to new person-centred models of care, community-based support systems and proactive strategies to address ageing in place. There is an imperative need for a collaborative approach by policymakers, health providers, community organizations and families as the only solution to reforming elderly care systems in order for them to be sustainable and equitable, besides improving the dignity and quality of life for older adults. This introductory piece aims at stimulating further discussions and guiding future studies and policy interventions in this critical area. This special issue consists of eighteen articles, which are grouped under the following broad subheadings: health, well-being and vulnerabilities, work, productivity and daily life engagement, and care systems and policy: systemic opportunities.
While methodologies for poverty measurement have evolved considerably, the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) has emerged as a widely adopted global tool to identify poor, seen through deprivations across the dimensions of health, education, and living standards. Existing studies on poverty in India have primarily focused on the incidence and intensity of multidimensional poverty, often decomposing the MPI to highlight disparities across states and social groups. Building on this literature, our study extends the analysis by examining the deprivation gap and severity in deprivation among the poor. The study also decomposes the underlying deprivations across Indian states and social groups, using data from the latest three rounds of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS). Additionally, we classify the population across four thresholds—non-poor, vulnerable to poverty, moderately poor, and severely poor—to capture the heterogeneity in multidimensional poverty. Our findings underscore the importance of considering deprivation gap and severity alongside incidence and intensity, and the spread of population across the poverty profiles, as such an assessment would help to understand the dynamics of poverty below the poverty line and allow policymakers to identify the priority groups for policy formulation, targeting, and implementation.
The adoption of technology-enabled grievance redressal systems is steadily rising as a means to improve urban service delivery. This study assesses the effectiveness of the Comprehensive Complaint Redressal System (CCRS) in addressing municipal service issues faced by the urban poor in three slums of Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. The objectives of the study were to identify key service delivery problems, examine patterns of grievance registration and resolution, and to evaluate the accessibility and effectiveness of technology-enabled redressal mechanisms for the urban poor. Using a mixed-methods approach the study draws on a survey of 90 residents and interviews with community members and ward-level stakeholders. The analysis focuses on service delivery challenges, modes of grievance registration, and complaint resolution outcomes. Findings show that water supply, water quality, and drainage are the most commonly reported problems. More than half of the respondents had never registered a complaint, and among those who had, most reported unresolved grievances. Despite the availability of multiple digital complaint channels, the urban poor largely depend on offline and intermediary-based mechanisms due to limited access, low awareness, and exclusionary system design. The study concludes that while CCRS offers technological solutions, it remains insufficiently inclusive to address the service delivery needs of the urban poor.
Government ownership has been reduced in the Indian banking sector. The ownership status of banks variedly influences investors’ responses to banking announcements in developing markets. Hence, this study examines the role of majority stakeholders in banks (government/private) on the heterogeneity in investors’ response to news regarding financial announcements like issuance of capital and debt. The news on capital and debt issuance by 35 banks (of 38), listed on NSE, are analyzed for 110 months. Event study methodology is used to analyze the impact of financial announcements on investors’ reactions by reviewing the abnormal returns in two event windows (7-day and 11-day). Furthermore, cross-sectional regression and staggered difference-in-differences analysis are done to discern the impact of selected variables on abnormal return and to understand the varied effects of events in government-owned versus private-owned banks. The results suggest capital issuance goads stronger positive responses for government-owned banks, while debt issuance news prompts an ascent for the government-owned banks and a descent for private-owned ones. The ownership structure significantly influences the abnormal returns only for debt issuance, and not for capital issuance. News on capital issuance sees abnormal returns negatively impacted by age, ROA, capital adequacy, and leverage. For government-owned banks, operating profit ratio is positive, while private banks see only interest spread as negative. Debt issuance news shows non-performing ratios positively influence government banks, while private banks face negative effects from age, sales growth, and capital adequacy, but positive from leverage, size, and interest incidence. Staggered difference-in-difference highlights a differential response from private-owned vs government-owned banks. This study emphasizes the need for customizing investment approaches and communication strategies for government-owned and privately owned banks in the wake of such announcements.
Digital skills are an essential component influencing the development of individuals, and the ability to utilize information and communication technology has been the need of the hour in this digital era. The widening digital gap has been highlighted in the literature. However, it mainly relates to basic digital skills acquired by the individuals. Hence, the present goes beyond it and captures intermediate and advanced digital skills with the help of the unit-level data of the National Sample Survey 78th round (2020–21). The authors assess the level of readiness of the Indian youth and adults with respect to the digital skills acquired by them. Though past literature emphasizes the Indian rural–urban digital divide, the current study sheds light on the factors that have been significantly causing this divide with the help of Fairlie’s decomposition analysis technique. The findings demonstrate a significant association between the place of habitation and digital skills in India. The digital skills have been significantly pro-urban as acquiring those in rural areas has been a challenge due to a lack of education and poor infrastructural availability, like internet connectivity (especially broadband service) and mobile phones. The other factors determining the capability to develop digital skills were gender, age, and social group. Hence, the policy implications that follow from the study are improving access to education and broadband/wireless services to effectively reduce the rural–urban digital disparities. These initiatives will complement the efforts made by the Indian government in achieving the SDGs, viz. quality education (SDG 4); gender equality (SDG 5); and reduced inequalities (SDG 10).
The need for integrated care for the elderly has grown globally due to ageing populations and the increasing prevalence of chronic health conditions. Many elderly individuals, particularly those in transnational families, face challenges in accessing adequate care and support, as their family members may be dispersed across different countries. This study addresses the role of social work and legal services in supporting elderly individuals in their home countries, focusing on transnational families. The integration of social work practices and legal frameworks is crucial in providing effective care for the elderly in these complex family dynamics. The research explores the challenges faced by elderly individuals and their families, emphasizing the importance of collaboration between social work professionals and legal experts. The study proposes an integrated care model that combines these services to enhance the well-being and rights of elderly individuals in home countries, offering insights into how this model can be applied in transnational family settings.
This study, using the data from Building Knowledge Base on Population Ageing in India (BKPAI), investigates the time use patterns of a sample of older adults in India, cross-classified by key socio-economic and demographic variables such as gender, place of residence, broad age categories, etc. The analysis comprises two simple yet meaningful exercises: first, an examination of the distribution of older adults across various activity types, classified into self-care, leisure, and physically demanding tasks, and second, an assessment of inequalities in engagement with these activities across different subgroups of elderly population–such as men and women, rural and urban residents, and literate and illiterate individuals. The findings indicate a correlation between post-retirement income and both the nature and magnitude of activities undertaken in later life. The results underscore the need for a publicly funded old age pension system, complemented by income-generating financial instruments tailored for retirees. Additionally, the practice of implementing broad, age-neutral reductions in deposit interest rate to simulate industrial investment warrants critical public scrutiny, given its potential adverse impact on the financial security of the elderly.
