More than 6 million women entrepreneurs drive the Peruvian economy, but more than half operate outside the financial system.

Within the framework of the month commemorating women, Equifax – Infocorp presents a study detailing the demographic, financial, and credit situation of Peruvian women in 2026.  The analyzed data shows that, of more than 14 million women of legal age, 43.22% already have their own business registered under RUC 10, but more than half remain excluded from the traditional banking system. This situation represents an opportunity for the country’s microfinance institutions and FinTech platforms.

Female entrepreneurship without financial support

In Lima, the concentration of female entrepreneurship is particularly striking. 59.32% of adult women in the capital own their own business, well above the national average. However, 42.431% of them still lack access to formal banking services. In the provinces, this exclusion is even greater, affecting 56.331% of women.

The key data from the national landscape are:

• Adult women in Peru: 14,148,510
• For businesses with their own tax ID (RUC 10) nationwide: 43,22%
• Unbanked population nationwide: 52,06%
• Unbanked individuals in the provinces: 56,33%
• Microenterprise loans in Lima: more than 2.29 million (52,76%)

The entrepreneurial woman is not a high credit risk

One of the study's most relevant findings is the favorable credit profile of women entrepreneurs. The analysis of formalized women with RUC 10 reveals that, both in Lima and in the provinces, the majority present manageable risk levels.

In Lima, the total number of women in the formal sector who own their own businesses stands at 2,582,968, of whom more than 1.09 million (42.41%) fall into the low- or low-to-medium-risk categories. In the provinces, the number is even higher: 3,532,661 registered female entrepreneurs, with more than 1.57 million (44.61%) in those same favorable risk categories.

«For years we've heard that lending to informal micro-enterprises is a shot in the dark. What our data shows is exactly the opposite. Peruvian women entrepreneurs pay, formalize, and grow. When we analyzed the credit scoring of over six million entrepreneurs nationwide, we found that nearly half have a credit profile that any financial institution would want in its portfolio. The problem isn't risk, it's that the right product for them doesn't exist at scale yet,” she comments. Carolina Arias, Data & Analytics Manager at Equifax – Infocorp Peru

Where is the women's entrepreneurship market

Of all women-owned businesses in the country, 42% are concentrated in Lima. Within the capital, the districts with the highest concentration of female entrepreneurs are San Juan de Lurigancho (8,12%), San Martín de Porres (6,76%), Cercado de Lima (6,08%), Ate (5,00%), Comas (4,99%), and Santiago de Surco (4,03%).

Outside of Lima, Callao, Trujillo, Chiclayo, Juliaca, Piura, and Cajamarca stand out as the main hubs for female entrepreneurship.

For lower-risk acquisition strategies, the priority departments are Lima, Arequipa, Cusco, Junín, and La Libertad, which concentrate the country's strongest credit profiles.

Financial inclusion as a profitable business

The study concludes that digital wallets and microfinance have consolidated as the main bridges to reduce the financial gender gap by 2026. The design of products with low entry barriers, fast-approval digital microcredits, and alternative credit scoring not only has a positive social impact but also represents a highly profitable and controlled-risk business for the modern financial sector.

Today, there is a market of hundreds of thousands of women with active RUCs who generate real, consistent economic activity but still lack access to credit to scale their businesses. FinTech companies and municipal savings banks that reach this segment first, with suitable proposals and better-controlled risk, will find a high-quality portfolio awaiting them.

About the study

The data presented corresponds to the study prepared by Equifax – Infocorp Peru, processed from credit bureau records and the Generic Bureau Credit Risk Score, as of March 2026.