A bibliometric analysis of financial inclusion and economic uncertainty in developing economies (2002-2025)

Abstract

This bibliometric analysis examines financial inclusion and economic uncertainty in developing economies between 2002 and 2025. Despite growing attention to financial inclusion, there is still a lack of comprehensive bibliometric analysis examining its relationship to economic uncertainty in developing economies. The bibliometric analysis follows the PRISMA 2020 guidelines and assesses 506 articles retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection covering the period from 2002 and mid-2025, analysed using the Bibliometrix R package. Given the partial coverage of 2025, publication trends for that year should be interpreted with caution. Key findings show: (i) a rise in academic interest and significant contributions from a range of publications, authors, and institutions. (ii) Asian institutions are becoming more dominant in knowledge production; and (iii) despite regional heterogeneity in developing economies, there is a trend towards decontextualised analyses. This study calls for more empirical evidence examining financial inclusion and economic uncertainty within individual developing countries to provide context specific policy direction. The results encourage policymakers to create integrated financial inclusion plans that concurrently tackle digital revolution, economic uncertainty, and regional inequalities in emerging countries. This bibliometric analysis examines financial inclusion and economic uncertainty in developing economies between 2002 and 2025. Despite growing attention to financial inclusion, there is still a lack of comprehensive bibliometric analysis examining its relationship to economic uncertainty in developing economies. The bibliometric analysis follows the PRISMA 2020 guidelines and assesses 506 articles retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection covering the period from 2002 and mid-2025, analysed using the Bibliometrix R package. Given the partial coverage of 2025, publication trends for that year should be interpreted with caution. Key findings show: (i) a rise in academic interest and significant contributions from a range of publications, authors, and institutions. (ii) Asian institutions are becoming more dominant in knowledge production; and (iii) despite regional heterogeneity in developing economies, there is a trend towards decontextualised analyses. This study calls for more empirical evidence examining financial inclusion and economic uncertainty within individual developing countries to provide context specific policy direction. The results encourage policymakers to create integrated financial inclusion plans that concurrently tackle digital revolution, economic uncertainty, and regional inequalities in emerging countries.