Bridging Financial Inclusion and Health Equity in LMICs: Evidence from a Half-Century of Bibliometric Data

TL;DR

This study shows that financial inclusion and health equity are closely linked, especially in low- and middle-income countries, and highlights a major research gap in this area.

Contribution

The first bibliometric analysis to examine 80 years of research on the intersection of financial inclusion and health equity.

Findings

Less than 0.3% of existing literature explicitly connects financial inclusion with health outcomes.

Direct investigations into health equity in relation to financial inclusion are virtually absent.

Empirical studies on digital financial tools in LMIC health contexts remain insufficient.

Abstract

Public health relevance—How does this work relate to a public health issue?
This research addresses the critical, yet understudied, link between financial inclusion and health equity, directly supporting the objectives of SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities).It highlights how limited financial inclusion exacerbates health inequalities, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), by restricting access to necessary care and increasing the burden of out-of-pocket healthcare spending.

This research addresses the critical, yet understudied, link between financial inclusion and health equity, directly supporting the objectives of SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities).

It highlights how limited financial inclusion exacerbates health inequalities, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), by restricting access to necessary care and increasing the burden of out-of-pocket healthcare spending.

Public health significance—Why is this work of significance to public health?
This is the first bibliometric analysis of this scope to examine eighty years of research at the intersection of financial inclusion and health equity, revealing a major gap where fewer than 0.3% of the extant literature has explored this area.The study establishes a foundational body of evidence and proposes a research agenda to guide future interdisciplinary work on utilizing financial instruments to promote equitable health outcomes.

This is the first bibliometric analysis of this scope to examine eighty years of research at the intersection of financial inclusion and health equity, revealing a major gap where fewer than 0.3% of the extant literature has explored this area.

The study establishes a foundational body of evidence and proposes a research agenda to guide future interdisciplinary work on utilizing financial instruments to promote equitable health outcomes.

Public health implications—What are the key implications or messages for practitioners, policy makers and/or researchers in public health?
Policymakers and health professionals should integrate financial inclusion strategies—such as digital finance, microinsurance, and mobile money—into broader health equity frameworks.Researchers are encouraged to adopt interdisciplinary approaches and develop common metrics that correlate financial inclusion indicators directly with health equity outcomes.

Policymakers and health professionals should integrate financial inclusion strategies—such as digital finance, microinsurance, and mobile money—into broader health equity frameworks.

Researchers are encouraged to adopt interdisciplinary approaches and develop common metrics that correlate financial inclusion indicators directly with health equity outcomes.

Health equity and financial inclusion (FI) are at the core of the Sustainable Development Goals, yet their intersection remains critically under-studied. This bibliometric study maps this emergent and fragmented field by analyzing 24,140 publications from Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, and Lens.org over five decades. Employing co-citation and co-word analysis via VOSviewer, chart research trends, governance frameworks, and policy linkages were systematically presented. The analysis reveals that less than 0.3% of the identified literature explicitly bridges financial inclusion with health outcomes, and direct investigations into health equity are virtually absent. Despite recent growth, fundamental gaps persist, including a lack of empirical studies on digital financial tools in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) health contexts and insufficient focus on disadvantaged populations. As the first comprehensive empirical mapping of this nexus, this study underscores the urgency for scholarly and policy action to strategically leverage financial instruments for equitable healthcare access. The findings provide a foundational map and a structured agenda to consolidate this nascent field.

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