United States

A wide variety of social, historical, cultural, educational and structural factors contribute to the persistence of poverty in the world’s richest nation.

• In the United States, more than 37 million people live below the poverty line
• Approximately 74 percent of poor people in the United States are located in major metropolitan areas

Despite these obstacles, poor people are embracing microentrepreneurship as a pathway out of poverty. In fact, many clients of U.S. microlenders break out of dead-end jobs, unemployment and dependence on public assistance to become successful entrepreneurs, creating jobs for their families and their communities.

Our partner microfinance institution in the United States:

• Project Enterprise, New York City