Haiti—Finance Inclusive

Initiatives to increase financial inclusion have yet to translate into significant expansion of relevant services in Haiti. Only 19 percent of Haitian adults have an account with a financial institution, while only 9 percent of adults save and 5 percent borrow from a financial institution. These figures are among the lowest not only in the Latin American and Caribbean region, but globally.

The Haiti Finance Inclusive project worked to improve the enabling environment to increase financial inclusion to create lasting benefits for low-income people across Haiti. By accessing basic, more formal financial services, low-income people are able to accumulate assets, withstand financial shocks, invest in businesses, and more conveniently receive and send money and make payments.

The project facilitated a two-level change in the market system. First, through the behavior of market actors through better information availability and increased orientation around low-income market segments. Second, via deeper collaboration in the broader financial ecosystem and enabling environment.

Sample Activities

• Develop a private sector financial inclusion platform and strengthen existing financial sector associations—such as Association National des Institutions de Microfinance d’Haïti (ANIMH) and Association Nationale des Caisses Populaires Haïtiennes (ANACAPH).
• Increase information and research activities to better understand key low-income market segments and gender aspects of financial inclusion. These activities will encourage development of relevant products and services that correspond to livelihoods strategies for low-income people.
• Support development of an active consumer protection environment to ensure that low-income Haitians understand the financial products offered to them and to improve uptake of available services, particularly digital financial services.

Learn more about how the project reached out to young people: