The impact of financial inclusion on economic growth in Algeria: An empirical analysis
Keywords:
Financial Inclusion, Borrowers, Depositors, ATM density, Economic GrowthAbstract
This study examines the impact of financial inclusion on economic growth in Algeria over the period 2004 to 2018, utilizing econometric analysis with national time series data. Employing the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model, the research investigates the long-run and short-run dynamics between financial inclusion indicators—such as the number of borrowers, number of depositors, and ATM density—and gross domestic product (GDP) growth. The results reveal a significant long-run equilibrium relationship between financial inclusion and economic growth, with a positive and meaningful impact on economic growth. However, the effects of the number of borrowers and depositors are less pronounced.
References
Basnayake, D., Naranpanawa, A., Selvanathan, S., Bandara, J.S., 2025. Financial inclusion and institutional quality: Catalysts for economic growth in Asia-Pacific countries.
Basnayake, D., Naranpanawa, A., Selvanathan, S., Bandara, J.S., 2024. Financial inclusion through digitalization and economic growth in Asia-Pacific countries. Int. Rev. Financ. Anal. 96, 103596. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.irfa.2024.103596
Biswas, G.K., 2023. Financial inclusion and its impact on economic growth: An empirical evidence from South Asian Countries. Eur. J. Bus. Manag. Res. 8, 163–167.
Demirgüç-Kunt, A., Singer, D., 2017. Financial inclusion and inclusive growth: A review of recent empirical evidence. World Bank Policy Res. Work. Pap.
Emara, N., El Said, A., 2021. Financial inclusion and economic growth: The role of governance in selected MENA countries. Int. Rev. Econ. Finance 75, 34–54.
Fundji, O.J., 2024. The impact of financial inclusion on economic growth based on East, West and Southern Africa. Int. J. Econ. Financ. Issues 14, 203.
Galor, O., Zeira, J., 1993. Income distribution and macroeconomics. Rev. Econ. Stud. 60, 35–52.
Greenwood, J., Jovanovic, B., 1990. Financial development, growth, and the distribution of income. J. Polit. Econ. 98, 1076–1107.
Hasan, A., Dowla, A.-U., Tarannum, R., 2024. Financial inclusion and economic growth in developing nations: A case study of Bangladesh.
Hussain, S., Rehman, A.U., Ullah, S., Waheed, A., Hassan, S., 2024. Financial inclusion and economic growth: Comparative panel evidence from developed and developing Asian countries. Sage Open 14, 21582440241232585.
Ifediora, C., Offor, K.O., Eze, E.F., Takon, S.M., Ageme, A.E., Ibe, G.I., Onwumere, J.U., 2022. Financial inclusion and its impact on economic growth: Empirical evidence from sub-Saharan Africa. Cogent Econ. Finance 10, 2060551.
Khan, N., Hassan, M.S., Yusof, M.F., Islam, M.A., Rahim, M.M., 2024. Financial inclusion as a catalyst for economic growth: evidence from selected developing countries. Cogent Soc. Sci. 10, 2387907.
Kim, D.-W., Yu, J.-S., Hassan, M.K., 2018. Financial inclusion and economic growth in OIC countries. Res. Int. Bus. Finance 43, 1–14.
Liu, Y., Luan, L., Wu, W., Zhang, Z., Hsu, Y., 2021. Can digital financial inclusion promote China’s economic growth? Int. Rev. Financ. Anal. 78, 101889.
Manyika, J., Lund, S., Singer, M., White, O., Berry, C., 2016. Digital finance for all: Powering inclusive growth in emerging economies. McKinsey Glob. Inst. 1.
Matin Chowdhury, N., Islam, J.S., Chowdhury, M.S., 2023. Nexus Between Financial Inclusion and Economic Growth in Bangladesh (2004-2021): ARDL Approach. Available SSRN 5134508.
Ozili, P.K., Ademiju, A., Rachid, S., 2023. Impact of financial inclusion on economic growth: review of existing literature and directions for future research. Int. J. Soc. Econ. 50, 1105–1122.
Pal, S., Vankila, S., Fernandes, M.N., 2025. Interplay of financial inclusion and economic growth in emerging economies. World Dev. Sustain. 6, 100201.
Pesaran, M.H., Shin, Y., Smith, R.J., 2001. Bounds testing approaches to the analysis of level relationships. J. Appl. Econom. 16, 289–326.
Siddiki, J., Bala-Keffi, L.R., 2024. Revisiting the relation between financial inclusion and economic growth: a global analysis using panel threshold regression. Econ. Model. 135, 106707.
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
Copyright (c) 2026 Meriem Hasnaoui, Mounir Kechkech, Sid Ahmed Zenagui, Fatima Derbal

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Allows users to: distribute and copy the article; create extracts, abstracts, and other revised versions, adaptations or derivative works of or from an article (such as a translation); include in a collective work (such as an anthology); and text or data mine the article. These uses are permitted even for commercial purposes, provided the user: gives appropriate credit to the author(s) (with a link to the formal publication through the relevant URL ID); includes a link to the license; indicates if changes were made; and does not represent the author(s) as endorsing the adaptation of the article or modify the article in such a way as to damage the authors' honor or reputation. CC BY



