Mapping the FinTech–Financial Inclusion Nexus: A Bibliometric and Future Research Agenda

Abstract

This paper aims to study the intellectual development and mechanisms linking financial technology (FinTech) and financial inclusion (FI). It also analyzes publication trends, journals, and authors that are most relevant; institutions and countries that are most productive; and finally determines research gaps. Drawing on 927 peer-reviewed articles indexed in the Scopus database from 2011 to 2025, selected via PRISMA, we use VOSviewer (version 1.6.20) and the Biblioshiny interface of the Bibliometric R-package to map publication dynamics, influential authors, country contributions, and co-occurring themes. The results of this study highlight the increasing global interest in FinTech and FI since 2018 across various fields. The results indicate that FI is the central theme around which other topics revolve, with Peterson K. Ozili as the most influential researcher, Sustainability as the top-publishing journal, and China and India as the leading countries in total research output. Furthermore, thematic cluster analysis shows that the literature portrays FinTech as a factor that enables FI by providing financial services to marginalized groups; however, the literature shows that there is a theoretical and policy gap in the necessity of integrating them into financial systems to achieve sustainable development. This paper provides a bibliometric review of the financial literature evaluating the relationship between FinTech and financial inclusion. Furthermore, it presents current knowledge for scholars, practitioners, and policymakers seeking to understand how digital finance relates to inclusive and sustainable development.