FII Dataset and Replication Code: Financial Innovation in Baltic and Caucasus Regions (2015–2023)

This dataset and replication package accompanies the paper "Financial Innovation in the Baltic and Caucasus Regions: A Mixed-Model Comparative Analysis with Econometric Evidence (2015–2023)." The package contains annual panel data for six post-Soviet economies (Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia) covering 2015–2024, a constructed Financial Innovation Index (FII), and all regression outputs. Data are sourced from the World Bank World Development Indicators, the Global Findex Database, and national central banks of Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia. Included files: main analysis dataset (final_dataset.xlsx), raw panel data with metadata (financial_innovation_panel.xlsx), structured regression coefficients (regression_coefficients.xlsx), full model output (regression_results.txt), and Python replication code (replication_code.py). The FII aggregates three normalized dimensions — digital access, payment system usage, and credit intermediation depth — using a weighted composite approach. Econometric analysis proceeds from pooled OLS to Fixed Effects, with robustness checks including a 2020-excluded specification and a one-year lag model.