Mapping the Landscape of Personal Finance Research in Developing Countries: A Bibliometric Perspective

Autores/as

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31637/epsir-2027-2331

Palabras clave:

personal finance, financial education, financial literacy, financial inclusion, financial behavior, digital technologies, financial well-being, resilience

Resumen

Introduction: This study presents the first comprehensive bibliometric mapping of research on personal finance, financial education, and financial inclusion in developing countries between 2007 and 2023. Methodology: Through the analysis of 83 articles indexed in Web of Science and the use of VOSviewer and Bibliometrix, temporal trends, collaboration networks, and thematic clusters were examined. Results: The results show a sustained growth in scientific production, concentrated in a few countries—mainly the United States, India, and China—with fragmented collaboration networks and scarce South-South linkages. Keyword analysis identified four main streams: (1) financial literacy and education; (2) financial inclusion and poverty reduction; (3) financial behavior and digital technologies; and (4) well-being and financial resilience. Discussions: Although the field has diversified its approaches, weak theoretical integration and limited international cooperation persist. Conclusions: This paper contributes evidence on the geographic, institutional, and thematic composition of the field, highlighting gaps and opportunities for future research, as well as recommendations for educational policies and programs that integrate behavioral, technological, and resilience components.

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Biografía del autor/a

Francisca Matus-Zambrano, Universidad Católica de Temuco

Francisca Matus-Zambrano is a young and emerging researcher from Temuco, Chile. She holds a degree in Business Engineering and a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Administration from the Catholic University of Temuco, Chile. Her research interests focus on financial education and personal finance in vulnerable and emerging contexts.

Jairo Dote-Pardo, Universidad Católica de Temuco

Jairo Stefano Dote-Pardo is a Professor and Researcher in the Department of Economics and Administration at the Catholic University of Temuco, Chile. He is a PhD candidate in Business Economics from the University of Salamanca and holds a Master's degree in Administration from the University of Bío-Bío. He currently serves as Secretary General and Researcher at the Center for Management and Applied Economics. His research interests include corporate sustainability, personal finance, innovation, applied economics, and financial education. He has participated in diverse research projects and published articles in peer-reviewed journals such as Sustainability, Sustainable Futures, Mental Health and Social Inclusion, Journal of Accounting Literature, Journal of Money Laundering Control, Journal of Family Business Management, and, Transylvanian Review of Administrative Sciences He has also led training, outreach, and academic development activities at the undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education levels in higher education institutions.

Elias Maldonado-Montecinos, Universidad Superior de Guadalajara

Elias Maldonado-Montecinos is a Professor, holds a Master’s degree in Educational Management and Leadership from Andrés Bello University, a PhD candidate in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education from the Universidad Superior de Guadalajara, and a PhD in Educational Leadership from Warnborough College Ireland. He has worked in secondary education, participating in the development of Institutional Educational Projects and the various management plans that support them. His academic interest focuses on Technical-Vocational Education (ETP). He works as a Higher Education Teacher and is currently in charge of Alternation and Reconnection in Technical-Vocational Secondary Education, a strategy that articulates the school curriculum with external training spaces, allowing students to develop knowledge, technical competencies, and socio-emotional skills in real-life learning contexts.

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Publicado

2026-09-08

Cómo citar

Matus-Zambrano, F., Dote-Pardo, J., & Maldonado-Montecinos, E. (2026). Mapping the Landscape of Personal Finance Research in Developing Countries: A Bibliometric Perspective. European Public & Social Innovation Review, 12, 1–19. https://doi.org/10.31637/epsir-2027-2331

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