Source: Microfinance Information eXchange (MIX).

Original press release available here.

WASHINGTON, April 8 – The Microfinance Information eXchange (MIX) announced the release today of the Russian language version of Benchmarking Microfinance in Eastern Europe and Central Asia 2006. The English language version was released December 2007. The report is a comprehensive analysis of the state of the microfinance industry in the region, including benchmarks that cover 126 microfinance providers. The report represents 1.7 million borrowers and 2.6 million savers. The total loan portfolio represented in the region is USD 4.5 billion, a 50% increase from the previous year.

As indicated in the report, the commercial financial sector in the region continued to influence the performance and growth of microfinance institutions in many ways, a relationship that is expected to deepen over time as the local financial markets continue to develop. The report shows that growth has been strongest for banks with several microfinance banks now ranking among the leading financial institutions in their countries.

MIX produces several regional and country benchmarking reports annually, including Benchmarking African Microfinance, covering the sub-Saharan nations; Benchmarking Microfinance in the UEMOA, which covers the francophone countries of Mali, Niger, Senegal, Cote d’Ivoire, Togo, Benin, Burkina Faso and Guinea Bissau; Benchmarking Asian Microfinance; Benchmarking Arab Microfinance, covering developing nations in the Middle East/North Africa region; Benchmarking Latin America and the Caribbean Microfinance; and Benchmarking Microfinance in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

The Microfinance Information eXchange (MIX) is the leading provider of business information and data services for the microfinance industry. Dedicated to strengthening the microfinance sector by promoting transparency, MIX provides detailed performance and financial information on microfinance institutions, investors, networks and service providers associated with the industry. MIX does this through a variety of publicly available platforms, including MIX Market and the MicroBanking Bulletin.