Bridging gaps, driving growth: digital financial inclusion in development research—a bibliometric and thematic review (2017–2025)

Abstract Digital Financial Inclusion (DFI) has drawn growing attention from both academics and policymakers as a key driver of inclusive growth and sustainable development. Although a wide body of the literature examines DFI outcomes across regulatory, technological, social, and environmental dimensions, the field still lacks a coherent, unified framework that ties together its intellectual architecture and developmental direction. This study fills that gap through an integrated bibliometric and thematic review of 84 peer-reviewed journal articles sourced from Scopus, covering the period 2017–2025. Using publication trend analysis, citation impact assessment, keyword co-occurrence mapping, bibliographic coupling, and international collaboration analysis, the study maps the dominant knowledge clusters and the connections between them. These quantitative findings are then paired with thematic synthesis to organise the field’s conceptual foundations into a coherent structure. Five interrelated thematic domains emerge from this analysis: institutional and regulatory foundations; digital and financial literacy as a human capability enabler; sectoral and household-level economic impacts; equity and gender dimensions; and macroeconomic and sustainable development outcomes. The bibliometric data confirm a fast-growing and high-impact field, with annual publication growth of 34.95%, an H-index of 29, total citations of 3411, and international co-authorship reaching 28.57%. Across studies, a clear pattern emerges: DFI is no longer viewed simply as a tool for expanding financial access but as a systemic development mechanism that moves in sequence from foundational governance through capability building and sectoral engagement to inclusive, sustainable outcomes. The study offers a bibliometrically grounded thematic framework, practical policy guidance, and a structured agenda for future research.