IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/htr/hcecon/445.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

The Importance of Geographic Access for the Impact of Microfinance

Author

Listed:

Abstract

The geographic distance between a household and financial institutions may constitute a significant obstacle to achieving the benefits of modern financial institutions. We measure the impact of distance-related access to microcredits in Uzbekistan. Residents living closer to microfinance institutions are propensity score matched to those further away using both household and village characteristics. Households located nearer to microfinance institutions have larger businesses in terms of income, profits and employees than similar households located further away. In addition, they spend more on most forms of consumption and have greater savings.

Suggested Citation

  • Nargiza Alimukhamedova & Randall K. Filer & Jan Hanousek, 2016. "The Importance of Geographic Access for the Impact of Microfinance," Economics Working Paper Archive at Hunter College 445, Hunter College Department of Economics, revised 07 Nov 2016.
    • Handle: RePEc:htr:hcecon:445
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://econ.hunter.cuny.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/RePEc/papers/HunterEconWP447.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Andrea F. Presbitero & Roberta Rabellotti, 2014. "Geographical Distance And Moral Hazard In Microcredit: Evidence From Colombia," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 26(1), pages 91-108, January.
    2. Alessandro Tarozzi & Jaikishan Desai & Kristin Johnson, 2015. "The Impacts of Microcredit: Evidence from Ethiopia," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 7(1), pages 54-89, January.
    3. A. Smith, Jeffrey & E. Todd, Petra, 2005. "Does matching overcome LaLonde's critique of nonexperimental estimators?," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 125(1-2), pages 305-353.
    4. Leonardo Becchetti & Pierluigi Conzo, 2014. "The effects of microfinance on child schooling: a retrospective approach," Applied Financial Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 24(2), pages 89-106, January.
    5. Dean Karlan & Jonathan Zinman, 2010. "Expanding Credit Access: Using Randomized Supply Decisions to Estimate the Impacts," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 23(1), pages 433-464, January.
    6. Demirgüç-Kunt, A. & Beck, T.H.L. & Honohan, P., 2008. "Finance for all? : Policies and pitfalls in expanding access," Other publications TiSEM aec73d3a-d6eb-457f-9182-3, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    7. Alberto Zazzaro & Michele Fratianni & Pietro Alessandrini (ed.), 2009. "The Changing Geography of Banking and Finance," Springer Books, Springer, edition 1, number 978-0-387-98078-2, December.
    8. Matthieu Chemin, 2008. "The Benefits and Costs of Microfinance: Evidence from Bangladesh," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 44(4), pages 463-484, April.
    9. Katsushi S. Imai & MD. Shafiul Azam, 2011. "Does Microfinance Reduce Poverty in Bangladesh? New Evidence from Household Panel Data," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 48(5), pages 633-653, October.
    10. Franklin Allen & Elena Carletti & Robert Cull & Jun QJ Qian & Lemma Senbet & Patricio Valenzuela, 0. "Improving Access to Banking: Evidence from Kenya," Review of Finance, European Finance Association, vol. 25(2), pages 403-447.
    11. Gustavo Barboza & Sandra Trejos, 2009. "Micro Credit in Chiapas, México: Poverty Reduction Through Group Lending," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 88(2), pages 283-299, September.
    12. McIntosh, Craig & Villaran, Gonzalo & Wydick, Bruce, 2011. "Microfinance and Home Improvement: Using Retrospective Panel Data to Measure Program Effects on Fundamental Events," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 39(6), pages 922-937, June.
    13. Manuela Angelucci & Dean Karlan & Jonathan Zinman, 2015. "Microcredit Impacts: Evidence from a Randomized Microcredit Program Placement Experiment by Compartamos Banco," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 7(1), pages 151-182, January.
    14. Nargiza Alimukhamedova, 2014. "Microfinance Environment in Uzbekistan: Analysis of Supply and Demand," Working Papers 344, Leibniz Institut für Ost- und Südosteuropaforschung (Institute for East and Southeast European Studies).
    15. Marco Caliendo & Sabine Kopeinig, 2008. "Some Practical Guidance For The Implementation Of Propensity Score Matching," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 22(1), pages 31-72, February.
    16. Becchetti, Leonardo & Castriota, Stefano, 2011. "Does Microfinance Work as a Recovery Tool After Disasters? Evidence from the 2004 Tsunami," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 39(6), pages 898-912, June.
    17. Rajeev H. Dehejia & Sadek Wahba, 2002. "Propensity Score-Matching Methods For Nonexperimental Causal Studies," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 84(1), pages 151-161, February.
    18. Pietro Alessandrini & Michele Fratianni & Alberto Zazzaro, 2009. "The Changing Geography of Banking and Finance: The Main Issues," Springer Books, in: Alberto Zazzaro & Michele Fratianni & Pietro Alessandrini (ed.), The Changing Geography of Banking and Finance, edition 1, chapter 0, pages 1-11, Springer.
    19. Sarah Pearlman, 2012. "Too Vulnerable for Microfinance? Risk and Vulnerability as Determinants of Microfinance Selection in Lima," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 48(9), pages 1342-1359, September.
    20. Demirguc-Kunt, Asli & Klapper, Leora, 2012. "Measuring financial inclusion : the Global Findex Database," Policy Research Working Paper Series 6025, The World Bank.
    21. Beatriz Armendáriz & Jonathan Morduch, 2010. "The Economics of Microfinance, Second Edition," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 2, volume 1, number 0262014106, April.
    22. Franklin Allen & Elena Carletti & Robert Cull & Jun QJ Qian & Lemma Senbet & Patricio Valenzuela, 2021. "Improving Access to Banking: Evidence from Kenya [A matter of experience? Understanding the decline in group lending]," Review of Finance, European Finance Association, vol. 25(2), pages 403-447.
    23. Joseph P. Kaboski & Robert M. Townsend, 2012. "The Impact of Credit on Village Economies," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 4(2), pages 98-133, April.
    24. Abhijit Banerjee & Esther Duflo & Rachel Glennerster & Cynthia Kinnan, 2015. "The Miracle of Microfinance? Evidence from a Randomized Evaluation," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 7(1), pages 22-53, January.
    25. Beatriz Armendáriz & Marc Labie (ed.), 2011. "The Handbook of Microfinance," World Scientific Books, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., number 7645, December.
    26. Abhijit Banerjee & Dean Karlan & Jonathan Zinman, 2015. "Six Randomized Evaluations of Microcredit: Introduction and Further Steps," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 7(1), pages 1-21, January.
    27. Brown, Martin & Guin, Benjamin & Kirschenmann, Karolin, 2013. "Microfinance Banks and Household Access to Finance," Working Papers on Finance 1302, University of St. Gallen, School of Finance.
    28. Leonardo Becchetti & Pierluigi Conzo, 2010. "The controversial effects of microfinance on child schooling: A retrospective approach," Working Papers 173, ECINEQ, Society for the Study of Economic Inequality.
    29. World Bank, 2008. "Finance for All? Policies and Pitfalls in Expanding Access," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 6905.
    30. Jose Pedrosa & Quy-Toan Do, 2011. "Geographic Distance and Credit Market Access in Niger," African Development Review, African Development Bank, vol. 23(3), pages 289-299.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Wonhyung Lee & Nurul Widyaningrum, 2019. "Multidimensional access to financial services: Insights from Indonesia," Progress in Development Studies, , vol. 19(1), pages 21-35, January.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Nargiza Alimukhamedova & Randall Filer & Jan Hanousek, 2017. "Themed Issue: Cash Transfers and Microfinance," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 35(5), pages 645-657, September.
    2. N'dri, Lasme Mathieu & Kakinaka, Makoto, 2020. "Financial inclusion, mobile money, and individual welfare: The case of Burkina Faso," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 44(3).
    3. Erhardt, Eva, 2017. "Microfinance beyond self-employment: Evidence for firms in Bulgaria," MPRA Paper 79294, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Erhardt, Eva Christine, 2017. "Microfinance beyond self-employment: Evidence for firms in Bulgaria," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 75-95.
    5. Jonathan Fu & Annette Krauss, 2024. "Preparing fertile ground: how does the quality of business environments affect MSE growth?," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 63(1), pages 51-103, June.
    6. Nakano, Yuko & Magezi, Eustadius F., 2020. "The impact of microcredit on agricultural technology adoption and productivity: Evidence from randomized control trial in Tanzania," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 133(C).
    7. Junxue Jia & Cong Qin & Yongzheng Liu, 2017. "Do Community-Based Development Projects Alleviate Poverty? Evidence from Rural China," International Center for Public Policy Working Paper Series, at AYSPS, GSU paper1722, International Center for Public Policy, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University.
    8. Julian Proctor & Paul Anand, 2017. "Is credit associated with a higher quality of life? A capability approach," Progress in Development Studies, , vol. 17(4), pages 322-346, October.
    9. Olga Kondratjeva, 2021. "Borrowing channels, purposes, and household investment and consumption: evidence from Nepal," Journal of Consumer Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 55(4), pages 1591-1613, December.
    10. Ishraq Ahmed & Erick Kitenge, 2022. "Microfinance outreach and aggregate welfare," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 34(3), pages 652-669, April.
    11. Islam, Asadul & Nguyen, Chau & Smyth, Russell, 2015. "Does microfinance change informal lending in village economies? Evidence from Bangladesh," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 141-156.
    12. Gyorgy Molnar & Attila Havas, 2019. "Escaping from the poverty trap with social innovation: a social microcredit programme in Hungary," CERS-IE WORKING PAPERS 1912, Institute of Economics, Centre for Economic and Regional Studies.
    13. Karlan, Dean & Osman, Adam & Zinman, Jonathan, 2016. "Follow the money not the cash: Comparing methods for identifying consumption and investment responses to a liquidity shock," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 121(C), pages 11-23.
    14. Bernardus Van Doornik & Armando Gomes & David Schoenherr & Janis Skrastins, 2024. "Financial Access and Labor Market Outcomes: Evidence from Credit Lotteries," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 114(6), pages 1854-1881, June.
    15. Sodokin, Koffi & Djafon, Joseph Kokouvi & Dandonougbo, Yevessé & Akakpo, Afi & Couchoro, Mawuli K. & Agbodji, Akoété Ega, 2023. "Technological change, completeness of financing microstructures, and impact on well-being and income inequality," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 47(6).
    16. João Paulo Coelho Ribeiro & Fábio Duarte & Ana Paula Matias Gama, 2022. "Does microfinance foster the development of its clients? A bibliometric analysis and systematic literature review," Financial Innovation, Springer;Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, vol. 8(1), pages 1-35, December.
    17. Lota Tamini & Ibrahima Bocoum & Ghislain Auger & Kotchikpa Gabriel Lawin & Arahama Traoré, 2019. "Enhanced Microfinance Services and Agricultural Best Management Practices: What Benefits for Smallholders Farmers? An Evidence from Burkina Faso," CIRANO Working Papers 2019s-11, CIRANO.
    18. Oriana Bandiera & Robin Burgess & Erika Deserranno & Ricardo Morel & Imran Rasul & Munshi Sulaiman & Jack Thiemel, 2022. "Microfinance and Diversification," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 89(S1), pages 239-275, June.
    19. Bernardus F Nazar Van Doornik & Armando Gomes & David Schoenherr & Janis Skrastins, 2023. "Financial access and labor market outcomes: evidence from credit lotteries," BIS Working Papers 1071, Bank for International Settlements.
    20. Masselus, Lise & Petrik, Christina & Ankel-Peters, Jörg, 2024. "Lost in the design space? Construct validity in the microfinance literature," Ruhr Economic Papers 1097, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    microcredit; microfinance institutions; geographic access;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O16 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Financial Markets; Saving and Capital Investment; Corporate Finance and Governance
    • C34 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Truncated and Censored Models; Switching Regression Models

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:htr:hcecon:445. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Jonathan Conning (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/dhcunus.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.