Overview: Spatial Access to Financial Services
Summary
Distribution of distance to ATM
Distance to nearest ATM & municipality type
Distribution of distance to Bank
Distance to nearest Bank & municipality type
Distribution of distance to Post Office
Distance to nearest Post Office & municipality type
Project Overview
The French Money Map (FMM) provides a spatial analysis of cash access points in France. It aims to analyze the accessibility of ATMs across France, ensuring equitable access as digital payments become more prevalent. By mapping and evaluating the spatial distribution of cash access points, we provide a valuable tool for understanding the efficiency of cash circulation.
A key focus of this project is measuring the actual travel distance to the nearest ATM. This assessment helps identify disparities in cash access across different regions and offers insights into potential improvements in financial infrastructure.
This project is part of the Digital Finance Chair, which aims to conduct research on all innovations, services, products, or organizational changes related to digital technology that could potentially transform the role of financial intermediaries. The partners of the Digital Finance research chair include Télécom Paris, Université Paris-Panthéon-Assas, Institut Louis Bachelier, Groupement des Cartes Bancaires (CB), Caisse des Dépôts, and INSEE.
Data Source
To conduct this analysis, we use demographic data from INSEE, which provides detailed population statistics, including density at a granular level. INSEE's dataset covers over 65 million residents and includes data at multiple geographical scales, with the most precise being a 1 km² grid. This high-resolution data helps us better understand local demographic patterns and identify areas with limited access to financial services.
Information on ATM locations is sourced from Groupement des Cartes Bancaires (CB), enabling precise geolocation of cash withdrawal points across the country.
Methodology
Travel Distance Calculations
The travel distance calculations are based on a 1000x1000 meter geographical grid across France. Each distance is measured from the nearest official address to the center of every populated hectare, ensuring a realistic assessment of accessibility.
Distances are computed using INSEE's Distancier METRIC tool, which estimates travel distances along the road network using OpenStreetMap data. For each 1 km² grid cell, the road distance to the nearest cash access point is calculated.
These distances are then aggregated at the commune level using a population-weighted average. This ensures that more densely populated areas have a proportionally greater influence on the calculation.
This methodology is inspired by the Swiss Money Map on financial service accessibility.