ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to analyze the evolution of the consumer credit market in Brazil in the period between 2003 and 2015. It addresses that the enlargement of credit access was the result of the federal government's policy interventions oriented to promote financial inclusion as a driver of economic growth. As a result, the consumer credit market expanded and this expansion is referred to personal loans that mainly include: consigned loans, overdrafts of bank accounts, consumer loans made against housing, vehicles or durable goods and credit cards. The expansion of personal loans turned out to happen after the removal of historical obstacles associated with the lack of access to formal credit markets, mainly by low income people. The credit scenario was characterized by the growth of the participation of public institutions in total credit in relation to gross domestic product.
