<!-- Start of picture text --> FIGURE 1.12<br>How account holders make withdrawals<br>Adults with a financial institution account by most common mode<br>of withdrawal used (%), 2014<br>0 20 40 60 80 100<br>East Asia & Pacific<br>Europe & Central Asia<br>High-income OECD economies<br>Latin America & Caribbean<br>Middle East<br>South Asia<br>Sub-Saharan Africa<br>ATM Bank teller Bank Other<br>agent<br>Note: The categories do not sum to 100 percent because of “no withdrawals made,” “don’t know,” and “refuse” answers.<br>Source: Global Findex database.<br>THE GLOBAL FINDEX DATABASE 19<br><!-- End of picture text -->

# How do account holders in developing economies make withdrawals?

Automated teller machines (ATMs) have overtaken the use of bank tellers for withdrawals in developing economies over the past three years. In 2011, 55 percent of adults with a financial institution account reported typically using a bank teller to withdraw money, and 37 percent an ATM; by 2014 the share who reported using a bank teller had fallen to 43 percent, while exactly half reported typically using an ATM for withdrawals (figure 1.12). This is in line with the growth in the share of adults owning an ATM or debit card in developing economies over this period—8 percentage points on average.

Indeed, using an ATM is the most common way to withdraw money in all developing regions except South Asia. Relying on ATMs for withdrawals is especially common in Latin America and the Caribbean, where it was reported by 71 percent of account holders on average, but also in such countries as Indonesia and Nigeria, where it was reported by more than 70 percent.

In South Asia, using a bank teller remains the most common way to make withdrawals; this practice was reported by 56 percent of account holders in the region overall—and by 78 percent in Bangladesh. The use of tellers also remains especially prevalent in some African countries, including Ethiopia (83 percent) and Rwanda (82 percent).

In recent years the concept of agent banking has received growing attention as a costeffective way to expand financial inclusion in developing economies. In this approach banks can license agents—often existing businesses such as retail stores or gas stations—to offer products and services on their behalf. Agent banking has not yet spread to all developing economies, and where it does exist it is often still at a very early stage. On average across developing economies, less than 1 percent of adults with an account at a financial institution use bank agents to withdraw money. But in a few countries more than 10 percent do, including Afghanistan (23 percent), Cambodia (16 percent), and Rwanda (14 percent).

# How many people own and use debit cards?

Debit or ATM cards are far more common—and far more likely to be used by those who have them—in high-income OECD economies than in developing ones (figure 1.13). In high-income OECD economies 83 percent of adults with an account at a financial institution (representing 77 percent of all adults) reported having a debit card in 2014, and in such countries as the Netherlands, New Zealand, and Norway more than 95 percent did. Among those owning a debit card, 82 percent (or 64 percent of all adults) reported having used the card to directly make a purchase in the past 12 months. Two notable exceptions are Greece and Japan, where fewer than half of those with a debit card reported using it to make direct payments.