Does private lending in emerging markets deliver competitive returns? Evidence suggests it does Cesaire MehFlorian Moelders October 08, 2026 This page in: English

https://blogs.worldbank.org/en/developmenttalk/does-private-lending-in-emerging-markets-deliver-competitive-ret Investors often assume that lending in emerging markets carries higher risk without higher returns. More than three decades of loan-level data suggest otherwise – and the distinction matters. Perceptions of risk shape whether capital reaches the businesses that drive growth, job creation, and investment in developing countries.