Information sharing, lending and defaults: Cross-country evidence

Theory predicts that information sharing among lenders attenuates adverse selection and moral hazard, and can therefore increase lending and reduce default rates. Using a new, purpose-built data set on private credit bureaus and public credit registers, we find that bank lending is higher and credit risk is lower in countries where lenders share information, regardless of the private or public nature of the information sharing mechanism. We also find that public intervention is more likely where private arrangements have not arisen spontaneously and creditor rights are poorly protected. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.