Latin America

56% Adult population financially excluded

27,078 65% Female borrowers Second-highest in the world, right after FINCA Haiti. % #

41,380 Total FINCA clients

21,931 53% Borrowers in rural areas Highest outside of Eurasia. % #

41,380 Total FINCA borrowers

72% Adult population financially excluded

45,883 89% Female borrowers % #

51,566 Total FINCA clients

20,626 40% Borrowers in rural areas % #

51,566 Total FINCA borrowers

57% Adult population financially excluded

15,359 56% Female borrowers % #

67,850 Total FINCA clients Honduras has more non-borrowing customers than any other subsidiary in the region.

8,849 32% Borrowers in rural areas % #

27,654 Total FINCA borrowers

72% Adult population financially excluded

4,823 59% Female borrowers FINCA Nicargua has one of the highest concentrations of female borrowers among our subsidiaries. % #

8,179 Total FINCA clients This number will increase with the launch of savings services for non-borrowing customers.

1,472 18% Borrowers in rural areas % #

8,179 Total FINCA borrowers

View All Financial Inclusion Data

Financial exclusion is high in Latin America, especially for women and the poor. Only 37 percent of woemn have access to a bank account in the countries where we work, compared to 46 percent of men. That figure falls even further to 27 percent for those at the bottom of the ladder.

Three out of four borrowers are women, putting Latin America in the lead on female outreach. In addition, Guatemala and Ecuador also have significant rural outreach, while Honduras and Nicaragua are operating in more urban markets. Most of FINCA's subsidiaries in Latin America are medium-sized, with 25 to 50 thousand borrowers. Nevertheless, three of them -- Honduras, Ecuador and Nicaragua -- have been licensed to take deposits, which allows them to offer a wider range of services beyond credit. In fact, savers outnumber borrowers by more than 2 to 1 in Ecuador and Honduras, showing that there is robust demand for services that allow people to safely store and accumulate their savings.

Living Standards

Latin America:
Quality of Life

Latin America Ecuador Guatemala Haiti Honduras Nicaragua

23,658 17% Client homes without water % #

31,961 22% Client homes without electricity % #

65,929 46% Client homes without access to Internet % #

29,054 20% Clients who don’t own their home % #

88,968 62% Head of household with primary education or less % #

1,142 8% Client homes without water % #

0 0% Client homes without electricity % #

2,856 20% Client homes without access to Internet % #

1,713 12% Clients who don’t own their home % #

5,369 38% Head of household with primary education or less % #

6,207 15% Client homes without water % #

4,138 10% Client homes without electricity % #

17,380 42% Client homes without access to Internet % #

6,207 15% Clients who don’t own their home % #

31,821 77% Head of household with primary education or less This is the second-highest percentage in the world, just after Afghanistan. % #

6,704 13% Client homes without water % #

20,111 39% Client homes without electricity % #

28,155 55% Client homes without access to Internet % #

17,017 33% Clients who don’t own their home % #

28,310 55% Head of household with primary education or less % #

8,296 30% Client homes without water % #

7,467 27% Client homes without electricity % #

14,104 51% Client homes without access to Internet % #

3,872 14% Clients who don’t own their home % #

18,905 68% Head of household with primary education or less % #

1,309 16% Client homes without water Similar to the regional average. % #

245 3% Client homes without electricity Two times less than the regional average, reflecting FINCA Nicaragua's concentration in more urban areas. % #

3,435 42% Client homes without access to Internet % #

245 3% Clients who don’t own their home The rate of home ownership in Nicaragua is the highest outside of Eurasia. % #

4,563 56% Head of household with primary education or less While somewhat better than the regional average, this indicator is very high by global standards. % #

View All Living Standards Data

FINCA's clients in Latin America face serious challenges in their daily life. In Honduras, about a third of our borrowers lack water and/or electricity in their homes. In the whole region, nearly half of our clients live in a household where the main earner has less than a secondary education. In Guatemala, this figure is over 75 percent, placing it right ahead of Afghanistan, a country which has been at war for most of the last several decades.

These results sharpen the focus on improving the educational attainment and income-earning potential of our clients' children, so they can break the cycle of poverty. FINCA's mission is to provide tools and financial resources to these families -- especially the mothers -- so they can provide a basic quality of life that will foster this change from one generation to the next.

Income & Employment

Latin America:
Income & Employment

Latin America Ecuador Guatemala Haiti Honduras Nicaragua

$3,341 29% Average annual profit Haiti and Honduras only. Nicaragua to be included later in 2018, % #

2.5 Average # of employees per client enterprise Haiti, Honduras and Nicaragua only

215,342 People employed in FINCA-funded enterprises Haiti, Honduras and Nicaragua only.

58,359 27% Employees hired due to FINCA loan Haiti, Honduras and Nicaragua only. % #

69,448 33% Wages paid above the poverty line Haiti, Honduras and Nicaragua only. % #

No data has been collected yet for this indicator in Ecuador.

The support of FINCA donors is vital to our efforts to understand our clients and better serve them. Please Donate to support this important work.

No data has been collected yet for this indicator in Guatemala.

The support of FINCA donors is vital to our efforts to understand our clients and better serve them. Please Donate to support this important work.

$1,799 22% Average annual profit % #

2.7 Average # of employees per client enterprise

139,141 People employed in FINCA-funded enterprises

43,173 31% Employees hired due to FINCA loan % #

33,394 24% Wages paid above the poverty line % #

$5,920 40% Average annual profit % #

2.0 Average # of employees per client enterprise

56,388 People employed in FINCA-funded enterprises

11,148 20% Employees hired due to FINCA loan % #

17,311 31% Wages paid above the poverty line % #

$4,346 39% Average annual profit % #

2.4 Average # of employees per client enterprise

19,813 People employed in FINCA-funded enterprises

4,037 20% Employees hired due to FINCA loan % #

18,743 95% Wages paid above the poverty line % #

Explore FINCA Loan Sectors

FINCA has completed its Enterprise Survey in Haiti, Honduras and Nicaragua. The data we have so far shows that Latin America is very close to the global average in most employment and income indicators. The typical FINCA client employs 2.5 people in her business, including herself. A quarter of this employment is due to the loan from FINCA. Profits comprise about 30 percent of total sales. Competition is very stiff, however, so the vast majority of paid workers are earning wages below the national poverty line. Many of our Latin American clients are themselves quite poor, and their businesses are usually a means of surviving under tough circumstances.

View All Income & Employment Data

Women’s Empowerment

Latin America:
Empowering Women

Latin America Ecuador Guatemala Haiti Honduras Nicaragua

100,865 71% Female borrowers % #

26,699 19% Clients with female-headed household % #

63,741 45% Households with female as main earner % #

67,737 77.5% Businesses run by women % #

183,550 54% Women employed by enterprises Avg. #

170,557 78% Jobs created by women % #

7,722 54% Female borrowers Like its peers in the region, FINCA Ecuador maintains a high level of outreach to women. % #

1,172 8% Clients with female-headed household % #

7,499 53% Households with female as main earner % #

27,078 65% Female borrowers Second-highest in the world, right after FINCA Haiti. % #

5,177 13% Clients with female-headed household % #

12,943 31% Households with female as main earner Guatemala is exceptional in that most of our female clients are secondary earners. % #

45,883 89% Female borrowers % #

11,483 22% Clients with female-headed household % #

25,410 49% Households with female as main earner % #

42,439 82.3% Businesses run by women % #

59,817 43% Women employed by enterprises Avg. #

122,165 88% Jobs created by women % #

15,359 56% Female borrowers % #

7,143 26% Clients with female-headed household % #

14,012 51% Households with female as main earner % #

19,745 71.4% Businesses run by women Note that this is higher than the number of female borrowers, because the data are from an Enterprise survey, which is done separately from the household survey. % #

42,587 76% Women employed by enterprises Avg. #

37,132 66% Jobs created by women % #

4,823 59% Female borrowers FINCA Nicargua has one of the highest concentrations of female borrowers among our subsidiaries. % #

1,723 21% Clients with female-headed household % #

3,877 47% Households with female as main earner % #

5,554 67.9% Businesses run by women % #

9,733 49% Women employed by enterprises Avg. #

11,260 57% Jobs created by women % #

View All Women’s Empowerment Data

FINCA subsidiaries in Latin America excel in reaching women, most of whom are the primary breadwinner in their households. In Nicaragua and Honduras, about half of these women are also single parents who carry the full burden of their family's well-being. By contrast, our clients in Guatemala are living in more traditional rural families and contributing supplementary income to their household.

Whatever their family situation, virtually all of the women in Latin America are running their own enterprises. In other regions, it is relatively more common for men to be involved in our clients' businesses. Unsurprisingly, Latin America is the only region in which the employees in our clients' firms are also mostly women, showing that female entrepreneurs can a driving force in creating jobs for other women.

Clients’ Goals

Goals Set By FINCA Borrowers

Goals Met By FINCA Borrowers

Latin America Ecuador Guatemala Haiti Honduras Nicaragua

7,521 9% Start a business % #

48,709 56% Expand a business % #

1,016 1% Invest in education % #

11,868 14% Improve their home % #

4,407 5% Buy an asset % #

4,966 6% Pay down debts % #

No data has been collected yet for this indicator in Ecuador.

The support of FINCA donors is vital to our efforts to understand our clients and better serve them. Please Donate to support this important work.

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No data has been collected yet for this indicator in Guatemala.

The support of FINCA donors is vital to our efforts to understand our clients and better serve them. Please Donate to support this important work.

3,249 6% Start a business % #

36,406 71% Expand a business % #

464 1% Invest in education % #

2,836 6% Improve their home % #

103 0% Buy an asset % #

2,320 5% Pay down debts % #

3,929 14% Start a business % #

9,261 33% Expand a business % #

453 2% Invest in education % #

7,167 26% Improve their home % #

3,756 14% Buy an asset % #

1,770 6% Pay down debts % #

344 4% Start a business % #

3,043 37% Expand a business % #

98 1% Invest in education % #

1,865 23% Improve their home % #

548 7% Buy an asset % #

875 11% Pay down debts % #

Latin America Ecuador Guatemala Haiti Honduras Nicaragua

6,319 83% Start a business % #

35,082 72% Expand a business % #

911 89% Invest in education % #

8,690 66% Improve their home % #

3,389 32% Buy an asset % #

2,473 48% Pay down debts % #

No data has been collected yet for this indicator in Ecuador.

The support of FINCA donors is vital to our efforts to understand our clients and better serve them. Please Donate to support this important work.

No data has been collected yet for this indicator in Guatemala.

The support of FINCA donors is vital to our efforts to understand our clients and better serve them. Please Donate to support this important work.

2,856 88% Start a business % #

26,103 72% Expand a business % #

413 89% Invest in education % #

1,614 57% Improve their home % #

0 0% Buy an asset % #

889 38% Pay down debts % #

3,281 84% Start a business % #

7,409 80% Expand a business % #

410 90% Invest in education % #

5,877 82% Improve their home % #

2,976 79% Buy an asset % #

1,168 66% Pay down debts % #

182 53% Start a business % #

1,570 52% Expand a business % #

88 90% Invest in education % #

1,199 64% Improve their home % #

413 75% Buy an asset % #

416 48% Pay down debts % #

View All Clients’ Goals Data

Each borrower comes to FINCA with a unique goal in mind. In Haiti, most of our clients are focused on expanding their businesses. Meanwhile, in Honduras, clients are striving for a wider range of goals, including improving their home, and purchasing assets.

Nicaragua's client survey is presently in the field -- check back in the fall of 2018 to see the results.

Special Topics

FINCA Loan Sectors

Latin America Ecuador Guatemala Haiti Honduras Nicaragua

103,431 72% Trade % #

21,687 15% Services % #

10,725 7% Manufacturing % #

415 0% Crops % #

5,913 4% Livestock % #

No data has been collected yet for this indicator in Ecuador.

The support of FINCA donors is vital to our efforts to understand our clients and better serve them. Please Donate to support this important work.

No data has been collected yet for this indicator in Guatemala.

The support of FINCA donors is vital to our efforts to understand our clients and better serve them. Please Donate to support this important work.

44,553 86% Trade % #

4,950 10% Services % #

1,702 3% Manufacturing % #

0 0% Crops % #

0 0% Livestock % #

12,560 45% Trade % #

6,769 24% Services % #

4,695 17% Manufacturing % #

0 0% Crops % #

3,514 13% Livestock % #

6,077 74% Trade % #

1,529 19% Services % #

155 2% Manufacturing % #

254 3% Crops % #

98 1% Livestock % #

Profit and Profit/Sales Ratio by Sector

Latin America Ecuador Guatemala Haiti Honduras Nicaragua

$3,570 29% Trade Profit/sales ratio Avg. profit

4,086 32% Services Profit/sales ratio Avg. profit

$3,758 35% Manufacturing Profit/sales ratio Avg. profit

$840 5% Crops Profit/sales ratio Avg. profit

$2,636 18% Livestock Profit/sales ratio Avg. profit

No data has been collected yet for this indicator in Ecuador.

The support of FINCA donors is vital to our efforts to understand our clients and better serve them. Please Donate to support this important work.

No data has been collected yet for this indicator in Guatemala.

The support of FINCA donors is vital to our efforts to understand our clients and better serve them. Please Donate to support this important work.

$1,595 21% Trade Profit/sales ratio Avg. profit

3,413 27% Services Profit/sales ratio Avg. profit

$2,810 33% Manufacturing Profit/sales ratio Avg. profit

$0 0% Crops Profit/sales ratio Avg. profit

$0 0% Livestock Profit/sales ratio Avg. profit

$7,256 40% Trade Profit/sales ratio Avg. profit

4,706 37% Services Profit/sales ratio Avg. profit

$3,830 40% Manufacturing Profit/sales ratio Avg. profit

$0 0% Crops Profit/sales ratio Avg. profit

$6,477 46% Livestock Profit/sales ratio Avg. profit

$3,561 37% Trade Profit/sales ratio Avg. profit

6,238 47% Services Profit/sales ratio Avg. profit

$9,499 34% Manufacturing Profit/sales ratio Avg. profit

$8,979 49% Crops Profit/sales ratio Avg. profit

$6,273 37% Livestock Profit/sales ratio Avg. profit

Jobs by Sector Due to FINCA Loan

Latin America Ecuador Guatemala Haiti Honduras Nicaragua

40,843 70% Trade % #

9,028 15% Services % #

5,181 9% Manufacturing % #

1,071 2% Crops % #

2,236 4% Livestock % #

No data has been collected yet for this indicator in Ecuador.

The support of FINCA donors is vital to our efforts to understand our clients and better serve them. Please Donate to support this important work.

No data has been collected yet for this indicator in Guatemala.

The support of FINCA donors is vital to our efforts to understand our clients and better serve them. Please Donate to support this important work.

34,947 81% Trade % #

5,381 12% Services % #

2,845 7% Manufacturing % #

0 0% Crops % #

0 0% Livestock % #

4,235 38% Trade % #

3,068 28% Services % #

1,628 15% Manufacturing % #

0 0% Crops % #

2,218 20% Livestock % #

1,661 41% Trade % #

579 14% Services % #

708 18% Manufacturing % #

1,071 27% Crops % #

18 0% Livestock % #