DIGITAL FINANCIAL SERVICES ADOPTION AMONG ELDERLY CONSUMERS: A BIBLIOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF RESEARCH TRENDS, KNOWLEDGE STRUCTURE AND FUTURE RESEARCH GAP

Abstract

This study presents a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of research on the adoption of Digital Financial Services (DFS) by elderly consumers within institutional platforms, reflecting the growing importance of inclusive digital finance in aging societies. Despite rapid digital transformation in financial services, elderly users remain underrepresented in adoption studies, particularly within institutional contexts such as government-linked or statutory financial platforms. This gap limits the understanding of behavioural, technological, and contextual factors influencing adoption among older populations. To address this issue, the study employs a quantitative bibliometric approach using the Scopus database. Advanced search strategies were applied based on three primary keyword clusters: “digital financial”, “adoption”, and “elderly”, resulting in a final dataset of 114 publications spanning from 2008 to May 2026. Data were refined and standardized in OpenRefine, and performance analysis was conducted using Scopus Analyzer. Science-mapping and network-visualization techniques, including co-authorship, co-citation, and keyword co-occurrence analyses, were performed in VOSviewer to identify intellectual structures and emerging research themes. The findings reveal a significant upward trend in publications, particularly after 2018, indicating increased scholarly attention to DFS adoption among aging populations. Key contributing countries, influential authors, and high-impact journals are identified, alongside dominant research themes such as technology acceptance models, perceived risk, trust, and financial inclusion. However, notable gaps persist in the integration of customer experience, institutional platform contexts, and longitudinal behavioural insights. The study concludes by highlighting the need for more context-specific, theory-integrated, and policy-relevant research to better support elderly consumers in navigating digital financial ecosystems, thereby contributing to more inclusive and sustainable financial development.