An official proof of identity is essential for participation in economic, social, and political life and for the fulfillment of rights. Without an ID, people can find it difficult or impossible to access social assistance, healthcare, education, open a bank account or activate a SIM card. Countries with (large) gaps in ID ownership will also face added challenges in effectively designing and delivering public services.  Providing “legal identity to all, including birth registration” is a target (16.9) under the Sustainable Development Goals.
ID ownership, male (% age 15+)
In some economies, surveys may not have been able to reach certain areas due to remoteness or conflict.  However, in most cases, the samples are nationally representative and weighted against select demographics. For a full list of exclusions, see The Global Findex Database 2021 report and methodology: https://thedocs.worldbank.org/en/doc/f3ee545aac6879c27f8acb61abc4b6f8-0050062022/original/Findex-2021-Methodology.pdf.
The percentage of male respondents age 15 and above who report owning a primary foundational ID (national ID or similar credential). If the minimum age for obtaining an ID is above 15, observations below the minimum age are excluded.
ID ownership is calculated based on a survey conducted on representative samples of the non-institutionalized civilian population over age 15. The data is collected in collaboration between the ID4D Initiative and Global Findex, and carried out by Gallup, Inc., as part of its Gallup World Poll. The survey asks respondents whether they personally own the economy’s primary foundational ID, using the actual term for the foundational ID in the local language. A foundational ID system is primarily created to manage identity information for the general population and provide credentials that serve as proof of identity for a wide variety of public and private sector transactions and services. The name of the credentials referenced in the survey is included in the 2021 ID4D Global ID Coverage Estimates report, available at: https://id4d.worldbank.org/global-dataset. For additional details on the survey methodology, see https://thedocs.worldbank.org/en/doc/f3ee545aac6879c27f8acb61abc4b6f8-0050062022/original/Findex-2021-Methodology.pdf.