Observers of FAI know that if there’s one thing we love, it’s data. Real, hard data that’s high quality and readily available to everyone. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that we’re pleased with the World Bank’s landmark decision to make its data accessible to anyone who wants it.

Improved access to data on microfinance in particular is something we’ve been pushing for for quite some time. And we’ve found that self-reported data, like that found in the MIX, often doesn’t cut it. By releasing over 300 World Development Indicators, covering 209 countries and reaching all the way back to 1960, the World Bank has injected a wealth of information into the development conversation – where the more data is definitely the merrier.