Calendrier du 05 septembre 2023
Applied Economics Lunch Seminar
Du 05/09/2023 de 12:30 à 13:30
Salle R2.21
MOSHRIF Rowaida (PSE)
Does Land Reform Reduce Land Inequality in the long-run: Evidence from 20th Century Egypt
This study focuses on the long-run impact of land reform on land inequality in Egypt. Using data on land distribution since 1896, I provide the first long-run estimates of land inequality that cover from the late 19th century up to 2020. I found that (1) the 1952 land reform reduced inequality by redistributing land from large landowners to small landowners. I show that the land share of the top 1% decreased from 43% to 27%, while the bottom 90% rose from 28% to 42%. (2) The redistribution was more substantial with the abolition of religious endowments, ‘Waqf’, initially used by large landowners to preserve large property from fragmentation through inheritance.