Financial deepening is a term used by economists to refer to increasing provision of financial services. It can refer both a wider choice of services and better access for different socioeconomic groups. Financial deepening can have an effect on both individuals' and societies' economic situations.

The following are examples of different forms of financial deepening. Provision for the unbanked and underbanked in a society. Development of financial markets. Development of financial institutions and increasing the diversity in financial instruments.

One of the key features of financial deepening is that it accelerates economic growth through the expansion of access to those who do not have adequate finance themselves. Typically, in an underdeveloped financial system, it is the incumbents who have better access to financial services through relationship banking. Moreover, incumbents also finance their growth through internal resource generation. Thus, in an underdeveloped financial system, growth is constrained to the expansion potential of incumbents. In mature financial systems on the other hand, financial institutions develop appraisal techniques, and information gathering and sharing mechanisms, which then enable banks to even finance those activities or firms that are at the margin, thereby leading to their growth-inducing productive activities in addition to the incumbents. The assumption is that the availability of external finance to budding entrepreneurs and small firms enables new entrepreneurship, while also providing competition to incumbents and consequently encouraging entrepreneurship and productivity. However, research indicates that widely available formal finance can produce informal intermediation, an unintended form of entrepreneurship. Hence, maintaining a sceptical approach when researching the effectiveness of initiatives is advisable.

Financial deepening can have a macroeconomic effect for a country. Financial deepening generally can increase the ratio of money supply to GDP or some price index. It can have the effect of increasing liquidity. Having access to money can provide more opportunities for investment and growth.

A developed financial system broadens access to funds; conversely, in an underdeveloped financial system, access to funds is limited and people are constrained by the availability of their own funds and have to resort to high cost informal sources such as money lenders. Lower the availability of funds and higher their cost, fewer would be the economic activities that can be financed and hence lower the resulting economic growth.

Promoting well-managed financial deepening in low-income countries (LICs) can enhance resilience and capacity to cope with shocks, improve macroeconomic policy effectiveness, and support solid and durable inclusive growth.

Financial deepening and macro-stability has been identified as a priority area in the years ahead for the Fund, as reflected in its Financial Surveillance Strategy paper.

Managing Volatility and Supporting Low-income Country Growth Enhancing macro-economic policy effectiveness Shallow financial systems limit fiscal, monetary, and exchange rate policy choices; hamper macroeconomic policy transmission; and impede opportunities for hedging or diversifying risk. This is of particular concern because LICs are vulnerable to external shocks, such as sharp swings in commodity prices and fluctuations in external financing. Limited policy space and instruments to mitigate the ensuing macroeconomic volatility often translate into large growth and welfare costs for these countries.