Microfinance Analysis & Benchmarking Report Released for Latin America and Caribbean Region
WASHINGTON D.C., March 10, 2010 – The Microfinance Information Exchange, Inc., a business information and data services provider for the global microfinance industry, announced the release of the 2009 Latin America and Caribbean Microfinance Analysis & Benchmarking Report. This report, using data from 332 microfinance institutions (MFIs) in more than 18 countries, provides the first insight into the impact of the global economic slowdown on the microfinance industry in the region.
“The economic slowdown and the global financial crisis contributed to limited growth in microfinance throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, compared to prior years,” stated Renso Martinez, Manager at the Latin America Office of the Microfinance Information Exchange, Inc. (MIX), who authored the report. “There is an indication that the microfinance market in the region is following the cycles of the formal financial sector more than it had in the past, although microfinance institutions with diversified credit products remain less susceptible to recent crises across the board.”
In addition to MFI benchmarks for Latin America and the Caribbean and analysis of financial performance, this report also includes an analysis of the funding structure of microfinance in the region and an examination of the MFI characteristics that allowed institutions to weather the crises more successfully.
The 2009 Latin America and Caribbean Microfinance Analysis & Benchmarking Report is available for free download in both English and Spanish at www.themix.org.
