What We Know So Far: from 15 randomized control trials (RCTs) on the impact of microsavings.
Publications
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What We Know So Far: 9 RCTs on Microcredit
What we know so far: 9 randomized control trials (RCTs) about the impact of microcredit.
Unequal Access
Around the world, only about half of adults (aged fifteen and older) have access to an account with a formal financial institution. In low income countries, less than a quarter do.
How and Why Do People Borrow?
Even in high income countries, family and friends remain an important source of borrowing...
Account penetration is high in wealthy countries, but there is great variation in account penetration among lower income countries
A formal bank account provides a secure way to save, and is the gate- way to accessing many other financial services that can help individuals manage their financial lives. While a formal account is taken for granted as a necessity by many people in high income countries, account access varies widely for their low income counterparts.
Across low income countries, there is great variation in formal account penetration
Although there is an overall positive relationship between GDP per capita and rates of account holding among coun- tries in the sample, differences of twenty percentage points or more are not uncommon be- tween countries with similar income levels. For example, over 40% of residents of Kenya have a formal account while less than 10% of Benin’s residents do.
Remittances and Account Penetration
Countries that receive more remittances (as a percentage of GDP) tend to have lower account penetration.
Lending Sources by Country GDP
In wealthy and poor countries alike, people rely on a variety of lending sources to meet their financial needs.
Mobile Phone Penetration and Mobile Money Usage
Mobile phone penetration does not explain much of the cross-country variation in rates of sending money via mobile phone.
Mobile Payments and the Urban-Rural Divide
Infographic: mobile payments are more common in urban areas, but there are important exceptions.
Urban-Rural Mobile Payments
The potential to reach rural communities with mobile payments has not yet been realized in many countries.
Microfinance's Social Impact: Cutting Through the Hype
A presentation for the Microfinance Club of New York.