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The industry level data sets produced by MIX are based on financial and portfolio data from hundreds of the world's most transparent microfinance institutions. The data is widely used throughout the industry and is helping to establish industry performance standards, enhance transparency of financial reporting and improve performance of microfinance institutions. The industry level data sets are the backbone of MIX's benchmarking services. As such, they improve and build microfinance market infrastructure and assist microfinance institutions' managers and board members to better understand their organization's performance in comparison to that of their peers.

MIX publishes Annual Performance Benchmarks and Trend Lines, both as part of the MicroBanking Bulletin. The performance benchmarks use a peer group framework that draws on the full data set of microfinance institutions. The trend lines, on the other hand, are developed to answer recent industry efforts to harmonize business reporting standards, establish norms for adjustments, and produce commonly understood performance indicators. They draw only on microfinance institutions that have reported for at least four consecutive years to MIX and detail developments in retail microfinance performance. The data also makes its way into a variety of research publications issued by MIX.

Microfinance institutions participate in this data collection on a quid pro quo basis. They provide MIX with information about portfolio performance, accounting practices, subsidies and liability structure. Participants submit substantiating documentation, such as audited financial statements, annual reports and institutional appraisals. Accounts are reclassified according to international standard terms and definitions. To justify varying macro-economic environments, levels of subsidy and provisioning for risk, MIX applies industry-standard analytical adjustments to the records. In return, microfinance institutions that contribute to the data sets related to MIX benchmarks and the MicroBanking Bulletin receive customized performance reports for their organizations.

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