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Publications

Browse our recent features by selecting one of our publications below or scrolling down the page to browse our entire feature archive.

MicroBanking Bulletin

MicroBanking Bulletin

Read features on critical microfinance industry topics written by MIX staff, microfinance practitioners and academics.

MIX Microfinance World

MIX Microfinance World

Find microfinance country, regional, and/or global analysis

Recent Features

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MicroBanking Bulletin

Microfinance, Financial Crises, and Fluctuations in Food and Fuel Prices

Date: 
March 2011
Author(s): 
Adrian Gonzalez

Risk is at the heart of financial intermediation, and microfinance is no exception. Since 2008, considerable attention has been focused on the effects of the financial crisis on microfinance institutions (MFIs). However, most discussions on the financial crisis have paid limited attention to the range of possible risks that are associated with financial crises: liquidity crunches, high inflation and devaluation episodes, economic recession, financial panics, and deterioration of repayment culture, etc.

MicroBanking Bulletin

MFTransparency and MIX Market

Date: 
April 2011
Author(s): 
Scott Gaul

In the past week, both David Roodman and MFTransparency have posted on the relationship between yields and APRs for microfinance institutions. We are happy to see the dialogue deepen on what we really know about what MFIs charge their clients. Both posts shed good insight onto what APR and yield are and are not.

MIX Microfinance World

Geographical concentration of lending in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Date: 
March 2011
Author(s): 
Ralitsa Sapundzhieva

Bosnia and Herzegovina, one of the largest markets in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, experienced rapid growth from 2006 to 2008, but crashed in 2009 as a result of high indebtedness among clients and the adverse effects of the global financial crisis. By December 2010, the client base of Bosnian MFIs was reduced back to 2006 levels (see Figure 1).

MIX Microfinance World

Eastern Europe and Central Asia Microfinance Analysis and Benchmarking Report 2010

Date: 
March 2011
Author(s): 
Olga Tomilova, Ralitsa Sapundzhieva, Micol Pistelli

How much of an effect did the global economic and financial crisis have on the microfinance sector in Eastern Europe and Central Asia (ECA)? Written in partnership with CGAP, the 2010 Eastern Europe and Central Asia Microfinance Analysis and Benchmarking Report shows that microfinance institutions (MFIs) in ECA were hit the hardest of all regions worldwide, with the effects of the crisis felt strongly across all subregions.

MicroBanking Bulletin

A first look at technology provider market share

Date: 
March 2011
Author(s): 
Scott Gaul

The just-announced transition of the software listings from CGAP to the MIX Market site gives us a good opportunity to explore one way in which integrating technology providers and MFI data can open up new information for microfinance practitioners.
 

MIX Microfinance World

Uzbekistan 2009 Microfinance Analysis and Benchmarking Report

Date: 
March 2011

The development of microfinance in Uzbekistan at the end of the 1990s started with the government strategy to support the development of private entrepreneurship and small and medium size business in the country. These efforts were accompanied by the pilot projects on micro crediting of the poor households via international microfinance programs implemented by NGOs beginning in 1998.

Announcing new, exciting features for summer 2011!

Date: 
March 2011
Author(s): 
Marten Leijon

Dear MIX User,

I want to share with you some exciting news about MIX's future direction that will strengthen our information services for all industry actors. 

Since 2002, you have come to know and rely on MIX as the premier source for microfinance data and analysis. To ensure that we continuously evolve to fulfill our mission of improving transparency in an ever-changing market, MIX conducts regular research into the information gaps and business needs of our users. Those research efforts have directly led to product innovations that have generated significant improvements for our audience. In 2010, we released a number of new-to-world information products for the microfinance sector:  rich country-level market analyses;   the world's broadest interim MFI data set; and a unique resource deepening exposure into MFIs' liability funding structures. And we could not be more thrilled and delighted that you, our users, have responded by doubling the volume of visits to our websites - www.themix.org and www.mixmarket.org.

MIX Microfinance World

2010 Arab Microfinance Analysis and Benchmarking Report

Date: 
March 2011
Author(s): 
Charles Cordier, Micol Pistelli, Ranya Abdel-Baki & Shaimaa Zain

The 2010 Arab Benchmarking Report presents the latest regional trends based on a sample of 37 MFIs from 7 countries (Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Tunisia, and Yemen) as well as the most recent developments based on 55 Arab MFIs from 9 countries (Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, and Yemen). 

MicroBanking Bulletin

Myths and Reality: Cost and Profitability of Microfinance

Date: 
March 2011
Author(s): 
Tilman Ehrbeck, Marten Leijon, Scott Gaul

Recent commentary on microfinance has focused on the idea that there is a big problem with excess commercialization driven by greedy for-profit microcredit lenders. Perceptions of uncontrolled growth and excessive interest charged to vulnerable low income clients have - together with select episodes of suspected excesses - become the unquestioned narrative about microlenders. But what’s the reality? Are microfinance institutions exploiting poor clients to make big profits? Are for-profit MFIs charging higher interest rates on loans to extract high profits?

MIX Microfinance World

2010 WAEMU- Microfinance Analysis & Benchmarking Report

Date: 
March 2011
Author(s): 
Charles Cordier

Since 2008 and after more than a decade of strong growth, the microfinance sector of the WAEMU experienced a slowed growth due to indirect effects of the financial crisis, which led to a slowdown of certain categories of economic actors. Growth was also impacted by the restructuring and consolidation of activities for a certain number of MFIs. A strategy of strengthening the existing activities, driven by some of the large mutual networks during 2007, seems to have extended to medium and smaller MFIs as well.