VSLA Annual Report 2025

October 30, 2025
2025 VSLA Annual Report cover

For more than 30 years, community alternatives to banks known as Village Savings & Loan Associations (VSLAs) have enabled women to pull themselves and their families out of poverty.

Download the full report (English) Download the summary (English)
2025 VSLA Annual Report cover

About the report

Over the past 30 years, we’ve seen 30 million members across 67 countries amass more than $11.4 billion in cumulative savings. 

Today, women who belong to savings groups no longer see themselves as struggling below the poverty line. They are business owners, community leaders and more, poised to take their successes to the next level.

In our 2025 Annual Report, we reflect on what it takes for women to make this shift from saver to entrepreneur and how CARE’s role has evolved to meet these needs. Our successes as a convener and influencer are inspiring others to scale the positive impacts of savings groups, unlocking new kinds of partnership, and shaping markets as women’s ambitions grow.

Our impact in 2025

  • $1.8B saved last year
  • $105M in micro-loans last year

Our impact potential

If we continue to scale support for savings groups, assist savers to become entrepreneurs, and build our network of private sector partnerships that connects members to innovative digital finance, this could lead to:

  • 6M potential new jobs
  • 53M savers connected to national economies
  • $1.6B in capital unlocked for microentrepreneurs

Related Reports

Climate

You Can’t Blame the Weather: Preventing Hunger in the 2026–27 El Niño

"You Can't Blame the Weather" is the first in a series on the impact of El Niño. It highlights that donor choices have the power to decide the outcomes for millions vulnerable to the climate shocks posed by El Niño. These shocks are arriving at a moment of deep precarity for communities dealing with conflict, market disruption, and the compounding forces of price hikes in the wake of escalating conflict in the Middle East. The humanitarian community has deployed rapid, large-scale crises before, such as in the aftermath of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and while these responses weren't perfect, they did measurably mitigate the worst potential impacts of the crisis. We can learn and improve from this recent history to prevent, respond, and recover from El Niño shocks in 2026-2027.

Read More
Education & Work

Women (in VSLAs) Respond Report: What women told us in 2025

This report shares the voices of VSLA members in seven countries, who told us compounding crises are leaving them hungrier, poorer, and less resilient than before. Despite this, once again, women tell us they are stepping up, supporting each other, and leading the response in their families and communities.

Read More
Education & Work

Building Financial Resilience Against Digital Risk

Digital access without protection isn't inclusion. For a woman running a micro or small business, going digital is a growth strategy. A mobile wallet lets her track high volumes of transactions. Social media reaches customers her storefront never could. Digital access to her bank account keeps her money safe. But the same activity that drives her growth also expands her exposure. Every new channel is another way for a scam to reach her.

Read More