FIGURE 4.4 account holders have a high-use account, and in Europe and Central Asia about 60 percent do. But in the Middle East and South Asia less than 40 percent have a high-use account.

<!-- Start of picture text --> Intensity of account use<br>Adults with an account by level of account use (as % of all adults), 2014<br>94<br>69<br>51 51<br>46<br>34 Dormant<br>Low use<br>Medium use<br>14<br>High use<br>East Asia Europe High-income Latin Middle South Sub-Saharan<br>& Pacific & Central OECD America & East Asia Africa<br>Asia economies Caribbean<br>Source: Global Findex database.<br><!-- End of picture text --> In East Asia and the Pacific the relatively high intensity of account use is driven primarily by formal saving, reported by 72 percent of account holders with a high-use account (figure 4.5). In Sub-Saharan Africa it reflects both formal saving (reported by 60 percent) and the use of accounts to send remittances (54 percent). And in Latin America and the Caribbean the main factor is the use of debit cards to directly make a purchase, reported by 80 percent of account holders with a high-use account.

> FIGURE 4.5

How account holders use their high-use accounts in selected regions Adults with a high-use account using it for specified purpose (%), 2014 <!-- Start of picture text --> Paid school fees Sub-Saharan Africa<br>Latin America & Caribbean<br>through account<br>East Asia & Pacific<br>Paid bills through account<br>Made 3 or more monthlywithdrawals<br>withdrawals<br>Sent remittances<br>through account<br>Saved formally<br>Used debit card<br>0 20 40 60 80<br>Note: Source: Respondents could report using their account for more than one purpose. Global Findex database.<br>Source: Global Findex database.<br><!-- End of picture text --> through account The Middle East and South Asia lag behind in the average intensity of account use. Paid bills through account In these regions only about 50 percent of account holders have a high- or mediumMade 3 or more monthlywithdrawals use account, compared with 70 percent or Sent remittances more in all other regions. In the Middle East through account a third of account holders reported having Saved formally neither received nor made payments in the past 12 months. And in South Asia about Used debit card 40 percent have an account classified as dormant. One possible reason for this is the 0 20 40 large number of accounts opened within _Note: Source:_ Respondents could report using their account for more than one purpose. Global Findex database. the past year in India, many of which were set up without an explicit purpose in mind (for more on this, see box 1.4 in the chapter on accounts). Another is the low rate of ATM or debit card ownership in South Asia, which suggests that many account transactions need to be carried out through a bank teller, adding to the costs in time and convenience.

Globally, 460 million adults have a dormant account, and 380 million a low-use account. These 840 million adults together make up a quarter of all adults with an account, suggesting that there is much room to increase the use of accounts.

# How does the intensity of account use vary by individual characteristics?

In most regions there is little difference between men and women in the intensity of account use. As noted elsewhere, women typically are less likely than men to own an account—but among those who do have an account, women and men show similar patterns of use. The only regional exceptions to this general trend are South Asia and the Middle East. Among those who have an account in South Asia, women are half as likely as men to have a high-use account and a third more likely to have a dormant account. And in

> THE GLOBAL FINDEX DATABASE 63