Microfinance and The Improvement of Social Welfare of Beneficiary Households: Evidence from Tunisia

This study is a contribution in the field of evaluation of the effects of microfinance on the social status of its beneficiaries. In this article, we used the counterfactual approach that compares the evolution of the situation of beneficiaries of microcredit to a control group (which has the same initial characteristics of the group of beneficiaries). The results of our empirical study confirm previous findings on the positive effects of microfinance on social welfare. These effects are identified through rising food costs, access to health services, education for children and improved household living arrangements