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Women-Led Firms’ Access to Bank Credit

Author

Listed:
  • Nicoletta Berardi
  • Benjamin Bureau

Abstract

This paper documents the existence and evolution of a gender gap in bank financing among non-financial firms, disentangling demand- and supply-side effects. Using quarterly panel data for French firms from 2012 to 2023, we find that this gap is driven by the demand side: women-led firms are between 12% and 26% less likely to apply for bank credit, depending on the type of loan. However, conditional on applying, the probability of rejection for women-led firms does not differ significantly from that of men-led firms. Moreover, we find no evidence that the gender gap in credit demand is closing over time.

Suggested Citation

  • Nicoletta Berardi & Benjamin Bureau, 2025. "Women-Led Firms’ Access to Bank Credit," Working papers 1024, Banque de France.
    • Handle: RePEc:bfr:banfra:1024
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    File URL: https://www.banque-france.fr/system/files/2025-12/WP1024.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • E51 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Money Supply; Credit; Money Multipliers
    • G30 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - General
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination

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