Brechas y desafíos en la educación financiera en Ecuador; un estudio de la Parroquia Conocoto, provincia de Pichincha, año 2025.

Abstract

Abstract: The study seeks to understand how the population of the parish of Conocoto manages its money, by evaluating what they know, how they act, and the attitudes they maintain toward financial decision-making. A quantitative, descriptive research approach was applied, collecting information through surveys developed based on the OECD guidelines on financial capabilities. The surveys were directed at adults of different ages, educational levels, and economic situations. Around 60% of the respondents demonstrate basic knowledge of how to save, manage a budget, and use credit responsibly, showing that 70.75% state they carefully analyze whether they can afford a purchase before making it, and 76.42% report paying their bills on time. However, difficulties persist in understanding more complex financial topics, such as inflation and the functioning of certain financial products, since more than 50% of respondents fall into neutral or disagree levels regarding statements related to investment and the use of more complex financial products. Differences associated with educational level, age, gender, and place of residence were identified, highlighting gaps in access to financial education. Although more than 90% of respondents have a smartphone and 49.66% use mobile banking to make payments, saving capacity and trust in the financial system remain limited, considering that only 19.47% could cover their expenses for more than six months in the event of losing their main source of income, and that 50% express distrust regarding the security of the banking system.