Does microfinance change informal lending in village economies? Evidence from Bangladesh |
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Institution: | 1. Boston University, Department of Economics, 270 Bay State Road, Boston 02215, USA;2. University of New South Wales, School of Economics, Sydney 2052, Australia |
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Abstract: | This paper examines how availability of microfinance influences households’ borrowing from informal sources in village economies. It uses a unique household level panel data set, which spans more than two decades (1987–2008), from rural Bangladesh. We find that households’ access to microfinance reduces the incidence of borrowing from informal sources, but not the amount of borrowing. We find that less poor households benefit more in terms of reducing their reliance on informal borrowing and that the benefit accrues over time. We also find that having access to microfinance increases women’s informal borrowing for small consumption usage, without facilitating access to new business opportunities. |
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Keywords: | Microfinance Bangladesh Informal loan Long-term effects |
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