Does multiple borrowing necessarily mean over-borrowing?

Abstract

Using a survey dataset collected from Andhra Pradesh, India, we test if multiple borrowing is equivalent to over-borrowing. Results suggest that over-borrowing and multiple loans are not necessarily synonymous. As the number of credit agencies in a village increases, the average loan burden of villagers does not increase. We also find evidence of substitution of formal sources of credit for informal ones with increased presence of formal credit institutions. Such substitution is greater with addition of microcredit institutions than with other formal lending agencies. Our results indicate that joint liability setup seems to ensure that individuals at a greater risk of non-repayment are discouraged from obtaining microcredit.