The Role of Education in Shaping Quantitative Reasoning and Financial Literacy of Urban Tribal Street Vendors: A Field Study in Mizoram, India

The paper discusses the relationship between cognitive ability and the level of education attained by urban street vendors on their financial literacy. A field study was conducted on 203 tribal street vendors in the northeastern Indian state of Mizoram. We asked six questions on mathematical ability (determining cognitive ability) and three each on financial and debt abilities (determining financial literacy). We then generated scores, namely math, financial and debt scores. The correct answer to each question was awarded a score of one, and a zero otherwise. We applied the ordered logit regression model. The results show that street vendors’ mathematical and financial abilities correlate. With an increase in educational attainment, there is a growth in cognitive ability, which positively affects the financial literacy of street vendors. The study attempts to draw a particular focus on an economically, socially and geographically unique set-up. Its findings contribute to understanding financial literacy in an understudied area and offer policymaking implications. JEL Classifications: G53, G51, P25