Sep 04, 2017

8th Microfinance Barometer:  Is microfinance still working?

e-MFP is delighted to partner the 8th Microfinance Barometer released today.

Convergences presents, in partnership with the National Federation of French Saving Banks (FNCE), MasterCard Foundation, the European Microfinance Platform (e-MFP) and Oikocredit, the Microfinance Barometer 2017, Convergences' historical main subject.

With 132 million clients and a loan portfolio worth 102 billion dollars, microfinance consolidates its role a key lever for financial inclusion of marginalized populations. Greater professionalization of microfinance institutions, dissemination of Social Performance Universal Standards and a continued growth of more than 9%, this 8th Microfinance Barometer highlights the strong trends of a fast-growing sector. However, from strengthening institutional capacities to reducing operational costs, the sector needs to overcome several challenges in order to increase microfinance's impact on development.

The launch of this new edition takes place at the 10th Convergences World Forum, on September 4th at the Palais Brongniart in Paris. With the theme "Is microfinance still working?", the launch of the Barometer will be the occasion to overview and to exchange with the authors and partners of the publication about the future of the sector.
One thing is certain: the financial inclusion of most vulnerable people will not rely only on microfinance. This statement is pointed out by the 8th Microfinance Barometer, which dedicates a special report on the synergies between microfinance and impact investing. As every year, you will also discover exclusively microfinance's global figures which reaffirm the dynamism of the sector and its essential role in the realization of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, referential and DNA of Convergences.

e-MFP's article "Measuring client outcomes: The frontier of social performance management" features on page 13.

Download the complete English and French versions

Read the full press release here

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