We describe the competitive environment of microcredit markets globally and we study the effects of competition on loan rates of microfinance institutions (MFIs). We use a new database from rating agencies, covering 379 for-profit and nonprofit MFIs in 67 countries over 2002-2008. First, we find...

The Foster, Greer, and Thorbecke poverty index is modified to a poverty outreach measure that incorporates both depth of outreach and scale. In an application to microfinance institutions, the use of this type of poverty outreach measure rejects the common notion that there is a necessary...

The Foster, Greer, and Thorbecke poverty index is modified to a poverty outreach measure that incorporates both depth of outreach and scale. In an application to microfinance institutions, the use of this type of poverty outreach measure rejects the common notion that there is a necessary...

This study aims to provide empirical evidence of the economic and social impacts of access to microloans disbursed thorough self-help group (SHG) programs. For this purpose, primary data were collected from households in Kerala, South India, and combined with detailed financial transactions of...