Journals / Politik Ekonomik Kuram / 2026 / Cilt: 10 Sayı: 3

Determinants of Mobile Money Account Ownership: An Analysis of Six Countries in Europe and Central Asia

Mobil Para Hesap Sahipliğinin Belirleyicileri: Avrupa ve Orta Asya’da Altı Ülke Üzerine Bir Analiz

Melik Ertuğrul(Galatasaray Üniversitesi)0000-0003-2068-2080
Pages
993–1018
Publication Date
2026-09-27
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Additionally, our results indicate that higher education level, high income levels, living in urban areas, participation in the workforce, having a bank account, and smartphone use separately increase the probability of owning a mobile money account.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

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Objective & Hypothesis:In our study, we analyze the factors affecting mobile Money account ownership based on a sample of six countries (Türkiye, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan) derived from the most recent (belonging to 2024) Global Findex Database provided by the World Bank.
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Key Findings & Data:Our outcomes reveal that women are less likely to own a mobile money account, and that the probability of mobile money account ownership decreases with age, and that this decrease is particularly pronounced in older age groups.
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Conclusion & Impact:Additionally, our results indicate that higher education level, high income levels, living in urban areas, participation in the workforce, having a bank account, and smartphone use separately increase the probability of owning a mobile money account.
🔬Design:Araştırma Makalesi
📍Scope:2024 Verileri
⚙️Variables:Mobil para · Finansal kapsayıcılık · Dijital finans

Abstract

In our study, we analyze the factors affecting mobile Money account ownership based on a sample of six countries (Türkiye, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan) derived from the most recent (belonging to 2024) Global Findex Database provided by the World Bank. Our outcomes reveal that women are less likely to own a mobile money account, and that the probability of mobile money account ownership decreases with age, and that this decrease is particularly pronounced in older age groups. Additionally, our results indicate that higher education level, high income levels, living in urban areas, participation in the workforce, having a bank account, and smartphone use separately increase the probability of owning a mobile money account. These results do not mirror some of our country-specific findings, which suggests that factors influencing mobile account ownership are country-specific and should be considered when analyzing country-specific dynamics. Both our general and country-specific results strongly suggest that the mobile money ecosystem plays a complementary role to traditional banking, in contrast to the substitution role shown in the Sub-Saharan African literature.

Özet

Çalışmamızda mobil para hesap sahipliğini belirleyen faktörler, Dünya Bankası tarafından sağlanan en güncel (2024 yılına ilişkin) Global Findex Database mikro verileri kullanılarak, Türkiye, Ermenistan, Kazakistan, Kırgızistan, Rusya ve Tacikistan’dan oluşan altı ülkelik bir örneklem için incelenmektedir. Sonuçlarımız, genel hatlarıyla, kadınların mobil para hesabı sahibi olma olasılığının daha düşük olduğunu, bireylerin yaşlandıkça mobil para hesap sahipliği olasılığının azaldığını ve özellikle ileri yaş gruplarında bu olasılıktaki azalışın daha belirgin olduğunu göstermektedir. Bunlara ek olarak sonuçlarımız, yükseköğretim eğitim seviyesinin, yüksek gelir seviyelerinin, kentte yaşamanın, işgücünde bulunmanın, banka hesabı sahibi olmanın ve akıllı telefon kullanmanın mobil para hesap sahibi olma olasılığını ayrı ayrı artırdıklarına işaret etmektedir. Bu sonuçlarımız, ülkeler özelindeki birtakım sonuçlarımızla benzerlik göstermemektedir. Bu durum, mobil hesap sahipliğini etkileyen faktörlerin ülke bağlamına duyarlı olduğu ve ülkeler özelindeki dinamiklerin göz önünde tutularak ele alınması gerektiğine işaret etmektedir. Hem genel örneklemimiz hem de ülkeler özelindeki sonuçlarımız, güçlü bir şekilde ve Sahra Altı Afrika literatüründeki ikame edici bulgunun aksine, mobil para ekosisteminin geleneksel bankacılığı tamamlayıcı bir rol üstlendiğini ortaya koymaktadır.

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Cite This Article

Ertuğrul, M. (2026). Determinants of Mobile Money Account Ownership: An Analysis of Six Countries in Europe and Central Asia. Politik Ekonomik Kuram, Cilt: 10 Sayı: 3, 993–1018. https://doi.org/10.30586/pek.1913046

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