Microfinance : A Critical Literature Survey
This paper offers a critical survey of the microfinance literature of the past 10 years. It reviews studies on the effectiveness of different microfinance techniques and offers a critical assessment of the impact literature of microfinance. The lit...
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| Language: | English en_US |
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Washington, DC: Independent Evaluation Group
2016
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| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2015/12/25715445/microfinance-critical-literature-survey http://hdl.handle.net/10986/23546 |
| Summary: | This paper offers a critical survey of
the microfinance literature of the past 10 years. It reviews
studies on the effectiveness of different microfinance
techniques and offers a critical assessment of the impact
literature of microfinance. The literature so far suggests
moderate but not transformative effects of microcredit, with
effects being conditional on individuals’ characteristics.
The effects of micro-savings interventions seem more
promising, while micro-insurance interventions suffer mostly
from limited take-up. The biggest impact seems to come from
expanding payment services. The paper discusses these
findings in the broader context of the financial development
literature and touches on methodological issues and
regulatory challenges. |
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