Joint Event Financial Institutions Group (FIG) and Development Impact Measurement Department (Economics & PSD VPU)

First Look: Update to the MSME Finance Gap

Lack of access to finance is a key barrier to growth for MSMEs, including women owned MSMEs. IFC is addressing this financing gap and helping small businesses to thrive by providing investments and advisory services to financial institutions and fintech companies and promoting knowledge sharing, through the SME Finance Forum.

An industry standard, the MSME Finance Gap is one of the only comprehensive estimated measures of financing gap across EMDEs. It is widely used not only within the WBG but also by various DFIs/ IFIs, banks, other financial institutions, and policy makers.

In 2016/17, the MSME Finance Gap report estimated a financing gap of $5.2 trillion dollars for 132 countries covered by the World Bank Enterprise Surveys ($4.6 trillion in EMDEs). Using the same methodology and data sources, how has the MSME Financing Gap in emerging markets changed? What is the outlook in your region or country? What is the Gender Finance Gap? What are the potential opportunities for impact financing?

Join us on Tuesday, May 2, 2023, for a first look at the updated MSME Finance Gap conducted by IFC and the World Bank. The presentation will provide an update on the potential demand for credit by MSMEs in EMDEs, what the current formal credit supply is and the resulting unmet finance Gap. The presentation will also share insights on trends, data limitations, and implications for IFC’s operations.