Guatemala – Mobile financial services (MFS) Regulatory diagnosis and market study

Regulatory advances in financial inclusion in Guatemala in the last five years have been significant, but are insufficient to reach the lower income population. The level of access to bank accounts and the use of financial services in the country remain below regional averages.

Although most of the adult population in Guatemala has access to mobile technology, access to mobile financial services has not increased, partly due to the lack of a regulatory framework to enable proper implementation. Mobile financial services are essential to extend financial inclusion, fight poverty and reduce economic informality.