Impact of Microcredit on Clients in Bosnia and Herzegovina
This report is the culmination of a three-year research effort to document the impacts of a sustainable microfinance sector in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH).It describes the findings from a two-round survey of 2,561 microentrepreneurs. The purpose is to explain the results of a statistical analysis of the impacts of microcredit on household welfare, business development and post-conflict transition.To answer these questions, the evaluation relied on a mixed-method approach, combining a longitudinal survey and case study interviews. The evaluation was conducted in several phases and included both quantitative and qualitative components. The report provides details on study participants:
- How were they selected?
- Who are they?
- How do they use microcredit?
The report details the statistically significant findings in terms of the impacts of microcredit on:
- Income;
- Employment;
- Investment;
- Business registration;
- The post-war transition.
The results from the two rounds of the survey indicate that microcredit had numerous positive impacts between the years 2002 and 2004. It concludes by stating the:
- Limitations of the study;
- Implications of the findings:
- Microcredit increases investment, productivity and incomes;
- Microcredit strengthens the formal economy;
- Microcredit assists displaced entrepreneurs.
