Nearly three billion people in developing countries have little or no access to formal financial services. Financial services for poor people are a powerful instrument for reducing poverty, enabling them to build assets, increase incomes, and reduce their vulnerability to economic stress. Formal financial services such as savings, loans, and money transfers enable poor families to invest in enterprises, better nutrition, improved living conditions, and the health and education of their children. Microfinance has also been a powerful catalyst for empowering women.
Since pioneering commercial microfinance in the early 1990s, IFC has continued to lead innovation in microfinance, using developments in technology, financial products, and policy to help financial institutions reach a greater number of people in a more cost-effective way. IFC's goal for microfinance is to scale up access to a range of high quality financial services for underserved populations, maximizing development impact and ensuring institutional sustainability. IFC achieves this goal by effectively combining investment and advisory services to a range of financial intermediaries.
IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, is the largest global development institution focused exclusively on the private sector. We help developing countries achieve sustainable growth by financing investment, providing advisory services to businesses and governments, and mobilizing capital in the international financial markets.
www.ifc.org
IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, is the largest global development institution focused exclusively on the private sector. We help developing countries achieve sustainable growth by financing investment, providing advisory services to busines...
Play all
