Market opportunities for microfinance institutions

Taking a business scholar’s standpoint I assess the future of the microfinance industry. The basic question I try to answer is why the microfinance market continues to grow while public support for the industry is shrinking. I identify six underlying forces – demographic transition, reduced poverty, urbanization, economic growth, technological innovations, and shifts in microfinance paradigms – that drive the growth of the microfinance industry. Furthermore, I identify six non-traditional microfinance markets that may present interesting opportunities in the years to come: insurance, housing, small and medium enterprise lending, savings, micropensions, and microfinance in high-income countries. I conclude the article highlighting that policymakers, regulators, and international support organizations may encourage or hamper the future of microfinance as outlined in this article.