IMPACT OF MICROCREDIT ON INCOME AND NON-INCOME DIMENSIONS OF POVERTY – A STUDY ON DIFFERENT GROUPS OF POOR IN BANGLADESH

This study investigates the differential impact that microcredit borrowers of different income classes might have experienced in their poverty condition after borrowing microcredit loans. Methods of this study consisted of a cross-sectional survey as well as unstructured interviews with the female microcredit borrowers in Bangladesh. Results show that an overwhelming majority of microcredit borrowers has experienced improvement in their poverty condition, but the degree of benefits widely varies among different groups of borrowers. Borrowers with some resource base have been benefitted most; whereas the absolute poor borrowers, with hardly any asset holding, not only have experienced least improvement in their financial condition but also have become even poorer in few instances