National Identity Ownership and Financial Inclusion in Uganda

Abstract

Ownership of a unique and legal identity is crucial for financial inclusion in Uganda as majority of financial service providers demand a national identity (ID) to satisfy the KYC (Know your customer) requirements. This study attempts to examine the effect of ownership of a national ID on financial inclusion in Uganda. The study utilizes the 2017 World Bank Global Findex data and finds that national ID ownership is statistically significant in predicting the likelihood of being financially included in Uganda. With 95% confidence, national ID ownership, phone ownership, education, income quintile, and employment status significantly predict the likelihood of being financially included in Uganda. The study further reveals that an individual who owns a national ID and owns a phone, has secondary school education, is in the richest 20% income quintile, and is in the workforce is more likely to be financially included compared to the same individual without a national ID although the result is not statistically significant. Generally, the study argues that Uganda can boost financial inclusion by harnessing ID ownership among the financially excluded. The study recommends that national ID ownership policies should be integrated with other policies such as human capital development, income equality, employment, and increasing phone ownership in order to achieve efficient outcomes.