A Preliminary Analysis on International Comparison of Personal Financial : Literacy between New Zealand and Japan

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to compare financial literacy levels of high school students between New Zealand and Japan using data which was collected in September and October, 2012, from five high schools at Waikato region in New Zealand. The authors used Financial Fitness for Life Theme Tests (FFFL tests) for our research, which were developed by William B. Walstad, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, and Ken Rebeck, St. Cloud State University in 2003, who have been foreign coresearchers in our research project. FFFL tests focus on measuring students' personal financial literacy. The NZ version of the tests is based on the original US version, but the Japanese version has some differences of test contents from the US version, because the financial system and institutions are different between Japan and the United States. Therefore, it is difficult to compare properly the test results between New Zealand students and Japanese students unless those test questions are excluded from the analysis. Then the authors compare the test results focusing on their similarities and differences between the two countries. Based on the analysis of students' personal financial literacy, the authors propose that personal financial education should be introduced as early as possible in elementary school in New Zealand and Japan.