Natural resource rent and inclusive finance: an institutional perspective

Promoting inclusive finance is crucial for governments worldwide to drive inclusive economic growth and development. This study investigates the relationship between natural resource rent and inclusive finance, considering the role of institutional quality. Using a comprehensive dataset spanning 109 countries from 1996 to 2020, our research unveils novel insights in the field of inclusive finance. The findings from our fixed-effect regression and two-stage least squares regression analysis reveal that natural resource rent has a significant negative impact on inclusive finance, supporting the resource curse theory. Moreover, we observe that the effect of natural resource rent on inclusive finance is contingent upon the level of institutional quality. Specifically, in the presence of robust institutions, there is a positive association between natural resource rent and inclusive finance. However, in weaker institutional context, the relationship becomes negative. These findings withstand a series of robustness tests, underscoring their reliability. These findings also have significant policy implications for stakeholders and policymakers involved in promoting inclusive finance in resource-rich economies.