Financial Access 2010 is the second in a series of annual reports by CGAP (Consultative Group to Assist the Poor) and the World Bank Group to monitor statistics for financial access around the world and to inform the policy debate. The series was launched in response to the increasing interest in financial inclusion among policy makers and the development community. The first report, Financial Access 2009, introduced statistics on the use of financial services in 139 economies and mapped a broad range of policies and initiatives supporting financial inclusion. Building on last year’s data, Financial Access 2010 reviews survey responses from 142 economies, updates statistics on the use of financial services, and analyzes changes that took place in 2009 a turbulent year for the financial sector in most economies. In addition, Financial Access 2010expands on last year’s work by reviewing three policy areas relevant to the current financial access debate: financial inclusion mandates, consumer protection in financial services, and access to finance by small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

The report does not intend to suggest that these three topics are the most important ones for financial inclusion. Rather, these topics are timely because much of the discussion in the aftermath of the financial crisis centered on the role of the government in financial services, financial consumer protection regimes, and the urgent need for jobs. Consequently, the report seeks to clarify the role of financial regulators in implementing policies to support the financial inclusion agenda. For the first time, it provides a detailed overview of the main features of financial consumer protection regimes, a topic of great interest to policy makers in the aftermath of the financial crisis. Financial Access 2010 also surveys availability of data on SME financing to contribute to the global effort to improve the measurement of SME financing led by the G-20.