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Being unbanked
Business Daily
Jan 4, 2024

How easy is it to open a bank account in your country?

Around the world, 1.4 billion people can’t get a bank account, and two-thirds of them are in low and middle income countries.

People from migrant communities also struggle to access formal banking services.

We hear from 19 year-old Josue Calderon. Originally from El Salvador, he arrived in the United States when he was 16. He tells Sam Fenwick about the challenges of only being able to use cash when he first arrived in the US.

Sam also speaks to BBC World Service listeners about their experiences of opening a bank account.

(Picture: The hand of a woman about to take money out of her purse. Credit: Getty Images)

Produced and presented by Sam Fenwick Additional production by Barbara George

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Business Daily is the home of in-depth audio journalism devoted to the world of money and work. From small startup stories to big corporate takeovers, global economic shifts to trends in technology, we look at the key figures, ideas and events shaping business.

Each episode is a 17-minute, daily deep dive into a single topic, featuring expert analysis and the people at the heart of the story.

Recent episodes explore the weight-loss drug revolution, the growth in AI, the cost of living, the economic impact of the war in the Middle East, and why bond markets are so powerful.

We also feature in-depth interviews with company founders and some of the world's most prominent CEOs. These include Google's Sundar Pichai, Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales, and the CEO of Canva, Melanie Perkins.

Presenter: Sarah Rogers Producers: Bisi Adebayo, Victoriya Holland and Jay Behrouzi

(Photo: Lamis al-Hashimy. Credit: Lamis al-Hashimy)


17min 58sec


Being unbanked

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