A sound, competitive banking system is important to a nation's economic vitality. Banks provide critical services through their role in the payments system, in the intermediation of funds from savers to consumers and investors, and in the transmission of monetary policy. A key element in maintaining confidence in the banking system and promoting financial stability is deposit insurance. The number of countries either establishing or considering establishing a deposit insurance system has expanded rapidly in recent years.
As of 31 January 2010, 106 countries have instituted some form of explicit deposit insurance up from 12 in 1974. Another 19 countries are studying or considering the implementation of an explicit deposit insurance system. In establishing a deposit insurance system, each country must consider what it hopes to achieve and whether the system that is established is internally consistent with its goal(s). Circumstances unique to the country will have a significant bearing on what a deposit insurance system can achieve and how the system should be structured.
Included on this page is the world map linked geographically to countries with a deposit insurance system. Fifty-nine deposit insurance organizations are members of IADI.