2.3 Million Businesses Need Microfinance: EUR16.5 Billion Is Missing

Around 2.3 million current and future microentrepreneurs across the European Union do not have access to the microloans they need, according to a new report from the Microfinance Centre (MFC). Together, these businesses face an estimated EUR16.5 billion financing gap.

The report, Financing Gap Report 2026: Unmet Demand for Microfinance in the European Union, examines how many people and small businesses need microfinance and whether existing providers can meet that demand. Using the latest data from Eurostat, the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) and the European Central Bank, the research shows that demand for microfinance is growing faster than the sector itself. As a result, the financing gap is larger today than it was before the pandemic.