Microfinance for Syrian Refugees: The Lebanese and Jordanian Market

Since fighting broke out in 2011, more than 1.6 million Syrians have fled to Lebanon and Jordan. Syrian refugees are developing livelihoods in Lebanon and Jordan using a combination of humanitarian assistance, remittances, employment, and entrepreneurship. Access to finance can help these households to improve their livelihoods, supporting them to become less dependent on aid and better able to contribute to their host community’s economy. However, little research has been conducted on the needs of refugees for financial services in these countries or on the size of the market. This lack of information leaves microfinance institutions, who are ideally placed to serve this population, hesitant to enter the market.

This research aims to provide estimates of the current size of the microfinance market among Syrian refugees in both countries and calculate the future development of this market. The brief describes the research methodology, key results, and major implications.