The most commonly cited reasons for not saving or borrowing reflect a lack of demand for financial services – people do not have the money to save, or do not need a loan. However, many people also cite supply side barriers to access, such as high charges, not knowing where or how to access a service, not having a nearby financial services facility, difficulty meeting qualifying requirements such as the need
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for collateral, a guarantor, or an initial lump sum, or the lack of required documentation.
A higher proportion of non-borrowers in Kenya cite a lack of money as a reason for not borrowing than in Tanzania. As the usage (and availability) of formal and semi-formal financial services is greater in Kenya than in Tanzania, this suggests that demand side issues may be more of a binding constraint to borrowing than supply side barriers in Kenya, compared with Tanzania.
Kenyan non-borrowers are also more likely to claim that charges are too high, which is perhaps surprising given that interest rates appear to be lower, on average, in Kenya than Tanzania. However, this may again reflect a different binding constraint to access in Kenya, or it may be because of higher financial literacy in Kenya.
Tanzanian non-borrowers are more likely than Kenyan non-borrowers to complain that they don‟t know where to get a loan, or that there is nowhere nearby to get a loan – reflecting a greater supply side constraint in Tanzania than in Kenya and, perhaps, a lower level of financial literacy, although the lower population density in Tanzania may also be an important factor.
Men and women gave broadly similar answers on barriers to access, although men were less likely to save as a result of logistical factors (such as not being close to a bank, needing ID, or because of high charges), while women were more likely to be deterred by a lack of money, or by a lack of understanding about how to save or where to get a loan, perhaps suggesting a lower level of financial literacy amongst women.
Urban and rural inhabitants cited broadly similar barriers to access, though rural people in Kenya were more likely to say they do not understand how to save than urban inhabitants, suggesting a lack of financial literacy. They were also more likely than urban dwellers to say they didn‟t know where to get a loan. Similarly in Tanzania, rural inhabitants