Bridging the digital financial divide: the role of financial literacy in rural–urban disparities in mobile money account ownership in Tanzania

Steven Lee Mwaseba, Emmanuel Simon Mwang’onda, Winnie Robi Donald · 2026 · Cogent Economics & Finance

Summary. Financial literacy is a major driver of rural-urban disparities in mobile money adoption in Tanzania, accounting for 22.6% of the ownership gap. While digital infrastructure has expanded, capability to use these services remains unequally distributed. Higher-income users convert financial knowledge into adoption more effectively than poorer groups. Addressing inequalities requires integrating targeted financial literacy programs into digital finance policy alongside infrastructure expansion.

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@article{mwaseba-2026-bridging-digital-financial-divide-role,
  title   = {Bridging the digital financial divide: the role of financial literacy in rural–urban disparities in mobile money account ownership in Tanzania},
  author  = {Steven Lee Mwaseba and Emmanuel Simon Mwang’onda and Winnie Robi Donald},
  journal = {Cogent Economics & Finance},
  year    = {2026},
  doi     = {10.1080/23322039.2026.2624866},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.1080/23322039.2026.2624866}
}

TY  - JOUR
TI  - Bridging the digital financial divide: the role of financial literacy in rural–urban disparities in mobile money account ownership in Tanzania
AU  - Steven Lee Mwaseba
AU  - Emmanuel Simon Mwang’onda
AU  - Winnie Robi Donald
JO  - Cogent Economics & Finance
PY  - 2026
DO  - 10.1080/23322039.2026.2624866
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1080/23322039.2026.2624866
ER  - 

Details

DOI

10.1080/23322039.2026.2624866

Countries

Tanzania

Regions

Africa

Categories

broadband-and-digital, policy, rural-data-and-definitions

Added

2026-04-28