China tops global fintech usage rankings: report

File photo of Alipay, the online and mobile payment platform operated by Ant financial. [Photo: sina.com]

China has outperformed India and Britain to top the globe for financial technology (fintech) usage, according to a report by Ernst & Young (EY).

The country's fintech adoption rate came at 69 percent in an EY index that measures users activity in various areas, including money transfer, payments, investments, borrowing and insurance, the highest among 20 major markets around the world.

It was followed by India and Britain, which were gauged at 52 percent and 42 percent, respectively. The global average was 33 percent, more than double that of two years ago.

The accounting firm believes China is leading the world in the widespread application of fintech, with new technological and business models sprouting at an unprecedented pace.

"Efficient and convenient mobile money transfer and payments, especially in coastal areas, have become a new feature of China. They are the most widely-adopted fintech services and have deeply integrated into people's lives," said Jack Chan, EY Greater China's managing partner of financial service.

Chinese users also outshone their overseas peers for using fintech in deposits, investment and wealth management, Chan said.

EY predicted fintech would continue gaining momentum around the globe with the average adoption rate to increase to 52 percent. Emerging markets including South Africa, Mexico and Singapore are expected to pick up pace.

The research was based on more than 22,000 online interviews on "digitally active" consumers who used two or more fintech services in the last six months.