The database builds upon earlier work by Demirgüç-Kunt, Karacaovali, and Laeven (2005). The original dataset covered deposit insurance schemes through 2003. It was constructed through a combination of country sources, as well as earlier studies by Garcia (1999), Kyei (1995), and Talley and Mas (1990), among others.
This version updates the earlier database and extends it to 2013. Whenever possible, we relied on official sources. Our starting point was a comprehensive survey on financial sector regulations conducted by the World Bank in 2010. This survey asked national officials for information on capital requirements, ownership and governance, activity restrictions, bank supervision, as well as on the specifics of their deposit insurance arrangements. These data were combined with the deposit insurance surveys conducted by the International Association of Deposit Insurers in 2008, 2010, and 2011, and in the case of European countries with detailed information on deposit insurance arrangements obtained from the European Commission (2011). Discrepancies and data gaps were checked against national sources, including deposit insurance laws and regulations, and IMF staff reports. Information on government actions undertaken during the financial crisis was collected from Laeven and Valencia (2012), FSB (2010, 2012), Schich (2008, 2009), Schich and Kim (2011), and IMF staff reports.
Our focus is on deposit insurance for commercial banks. For countries with multiple DIS, the data provided relate only to the national statutory scheme. This means that stated coverage levels may understate actual coverage. For example, the complex voluntary DIS for commercial banks in Germany provides insurance of up to 30 percent of bank capital per depositor, essentially offering unlimited coverage for most depositors.