Mapping Pathways out of Poverty: The State of the Microcredit Summit Campaign Report, 2015

The State of the Campaign Report 2015 highlights the progress of the microfinance community toward two goals set at the 2006 Global Microcredit Summit: 1) reach 175 million of the world’s poorest families with microfinance, and 2) help 100 million families lift themselves out of extreme poverty. This year, these numbers are reported in the context of the larger movements to provide universal access to financial services and to end extreme poverty—and they show the challenge in attaining the Summit's goals.

At the end of 2013, the microfinance community reached 211 million clients, 114 million of whom were living in extreme poverty. While the microfinance community provided loans to the most clients in its history last year, the number of poorest clients fell for the third straight year. The growth in clients for microfinance has occurred primarily among those who live above US$1.90 a day.

This report presents six “pathways” where financial services can support families in their journey out of extreme poverty:

1. Integrated health and microfinance;
2. Savings groups;
3. Graduation programs; 
4. Agricultural value chains; 
5. Conditional cash transfers; 
6. Digital finance.