Role of Financial Inclusion in Human Development: Evidence from Bangladesh, India and Pakistan.

This study measures the impact of financial inclusion on human development in Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan. Despite rapid economic progress, these three South Asian countries still lag in improving their state of inequality, poverty, and unemployment. Using panel data and applying the generalized method of moments (GMM), this study finds a positive impact of financial inclusion on human development, specifically on income level, life expectancy, and educational attainment. It is expected that the outcome-based recommendations of this study will help policymakers optimize the benefits of financial inclusion in accelerating human development in the three highly promising emerging South Asian countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]