Resilient futures: intellectual and thematic pathways in financial resilience research and their relevance to well-being

Financial resilience has become a critical determinant of economic stability and well-being amid global shocks, technological disruption, and widening socioeconomic vulnerabilities. This study conducts a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of 527 Web of Science publications, covering those indexed through November 20, 2025, to address three research questions. First, citation analysis identifies the most influential publications, authors, journals, institutions, and countries shaping the field, revealing a research landscape anchored in financial literacy, digital access, public-sector accountability, and multidimensional resilience frameworks. Second, bibliographic coupling uncovers five core thematic clusters: (1) governance, technology, and firm-level resilience, (2) financial inclusion and household capability building, (3) public-sector accounting and crisis governance, (4) individual capability and financial behavior, and (5) multidimensional and social-ecological resilience. Third, co-word analysis, thematic mapping, and trend topic analysis trace the conceptual evolution of the field, demonstrating a transition from narrow household-focused approaches to systemic, cross-level models integrating digital transformation, sustainability, organizational governance, and psychosocial well-being. Emerging themes since 2020 highlight mental health, ESG and sustainability performance, climate-related risk, digital finance, and adaptive governance. By consolidating a dispersed and rapidly expanding body of research, this review maps the intellectual and thematic foundations of financial resilience, offering theoretical, practical, and policy insights for designing inclusive, adaptive, and well-being-oriented financial systems.