Abstract:

As a result of capitalism reaching its economic and political limits, leading countries have resorted to financial deregulation policies to attract capital to financial investment areas. Although the technological advancement of globalization has made financial products and services more accessible, the poor have been indebted to expand the financial base. Financial inclusion is briefly defined as the access of individuals and firms to financial products and services. Within the framework of financial inclusion, financial education covers the issues of appropriate access to financial products and services and consumer protection. One of the most comprehensive studies on the subject is carried out by the World Bank. According to the World Bank's Global Findex research, the rate of financial inclusion worldwide has increased by 25% within ten years and reached 76%. However, today there are people who do not even have basic financial products, and these segments are poor people who are excluded from society in general. In this study, data obtained from 515 face-to-face surveys from the five central districts of Antalya were used to assess financial inclusion and identify the factors affecting account ownership. The Social and Human Sciences Scientific Research and Publication Ethics Committee of Akdeniz University gave permission for this survey study in a decision dated March 23, 2020 and numbered 102. The research found a financial inclusion rate of 89.3% in the center of Antalya. According to the logistic regression, income, education, emergency reserves and use of financial software affect bank account ownership in Antalya. Higher education, middle-class income, and financial literacy are factors that affect credit card account ownership. The study concluded that people cannot survive financially without an increase in education and/or income.

Keywords: