Abstract: This paper evaluates the impact of access to credit from banks and other financial institutions on household welfare in Mauritania. Household level data are used to evaluate the relationship between credit access, a range of household characteristics, and welfare indicators. To address the threats of potential endogeneity, an index of household isolation is used to instrument access to credit. Evidence on the validity of the exclusion restriction is provided showing that household isolation is unrelated with households and area characteristics ...
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Topics: 
Demographic economics
Economic growth