Determinants of Mobile Money Adoption and Use in Poor and Least Digitalized Countries: Case of Burundi

ABSTRACT

Mobile money illustrates a technological revolution in the financial sector, but its effects on gender and geographic disparities in financial inclusion remain underexplored. This article uses a binary logit model and negative binomial regression on primary data from five provinces in Burundi to identify determinants of mobile phone ownership, mobile money registration, and the frequency of mobile money use. Results show that access to electricity, alternative charging options (notably solar power and local charging kiosks), and the household head’s occupation significantly and positively affect mobile phone ownership, mobile money registration, and usage frequency. By contrast, being female, residing in a rural area, or not belonging to a social group reduces the likelihood of owning a mobile phone and registering for mobile money. The absence of a nearby financial institution increases the likelihood of mobile phone ownership and mobile money registration, while prior use of mobile banking raises the probability of registering for mobile money.