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Land Property Rights and Resource Allocation

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  • Sebastian Galiani
  • Ernesto Schargrodsky

Abstract

In this paper, we review the most significant empirical literature on the causal effects of land property rights. The literature indicates that secure property rights boost investment in both rural and urban areas. These effects, however, do not appear to be the result of improved credit conditions. In rural areas, clear land rights also lead to increases in productivity and farm earnings. In contrast, for urban areas, the evidence for an effect on earnings is mixed. We find little empirical evidence to suggest that land-titling programs enhance the development of land markets. Finally, some evidence suggests that land titling induces changes in household structure that foster human capital accumulation and may help to increase the incomes of future generations.

Suggested Citation

  • Sebastian Galiani & Ernesto Schargrodsky, 2011. "Land Property Rights and Resource Allocation," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 54(S4), pages 329-345.
    • Handle: RePEc:ucp:jlawec:doi:10.1086/661957
    DOI: 10.1086/661957
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    Cited by:

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    2. Yang, Jidong & Liu, Cheng & Liu, Kai, 2023. "Land marketization and industrial restructuring in China," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 131(C).
    3. Zehua Wang & Fachao Liang & Sheng-Hau Lin, 2023. "Can socially sustainable development be achieved through homestead withdrawal? A hybrid multiple-attributes decision analysis," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-18, December.
    4. Valsecchi, Michele, 2014. "Land property rights and international migration: Evidence from Mexico," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 110(C), pages 276-290.
    5. Blakeslee, David & Chaurey, Ritam & Fishman, Ram & Malik, Samreen, 2018. "Structural Transformation and Spillovers from Industrial Areas," IZA Discussion Papers 11886, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    6. Alain de Janvry & Kyle Emerick & Marco Gonzalez-Navarro & Elisabeth Sadoulet, 2015. "Delinking Land Rights from Land Use: Certification and Migration in Mexico," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 105(10), pages 3125-3149, October.
    7. Agyei-Holmes,Andrew & Buehren,Niklas & Goldstein,Markus P. & Osei,Robert Darko & Osei-Akoto,Isaac & Udry,Christopher Robert, 2020. "The Effects of Land Title Registration on Tenure Security, Investment and the Allocation of Productive Resources : Evidence from Ghana," Policy Research Working Paper Series 9376, The World Bank.
    8. Dan Li & Wenjing Zhong & Yitao Chen, 2022. "The Role of Farmland Titling in Urban Agricultural Resilience: Evidence from Metropolitan Guangzhou, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-20, November.
    9. Galiani Sebastian & Schargrodsky Ernesto, 2016. "The Deregularization of Land Titles," Man and the Economy, De Gruyter, vol. 3(2), pages 169-188, December.
    10. Lei Xu & Shixiang Chen & Shuliu Tian, 2022. "The Mechanism of Land Registration Program on Land Transfer in Rural China: Considering the Effects of Livelihood Security and Agricultural Management Incentives," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(8), pages 1-25, August.
    11. Tseday Jemaneh Mekasha & Wilhelm Ngasamiaku & Remidius D. Ruhinduka & Finn Tarp, 2018. "Land tenure security and internal migration in Tanzania," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2018-158, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    12. Pal, Sarmistha & Chowdhury, Prabal Roy & Saher, Zoya, 2021. "Land Ceiling Legislations, Land Acquisition and De-industrialisation: Theory and Evidence from the Indian States," IZA Discussion Papers 14624, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    13. Kotikula, Aphichoke & Raza, Wameq Azfar, 2021. "Housing ownership Gender differences in Dhaka, Bangladesh," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 110(C).
    14. Douglas A. Irwin, 2014. "Adam Smith's "Tolerable Administration of Justice" and the Wealth of Nations," NBER Working Papers 20636, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    15. Aragón, Fernando M. & Molina, Oswaldo & Outes-León, Ingo W., 2020. "Property rights and risk aversion: Evidence from a titling program," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).
    16. Katz-Lavigne, Sarah, 2020. "Distributional impact of corporate extraction and (un)authorised clandestine mining at and around large-scale copper- and cobalt-mining sites in DR Congo," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    17. Lu, Shenghua & Wang, Hui, 2023. "How revolving-door recruitment makes firms stand out in land market: Evidence from China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    18. Tseday Jemaneh Mekasha & Wilhelm Ngasamiaku & Remidius D. Ruhinduka & Finn Tarp, 2018. "Land tenure security and internal migration in Tanzania," WIDER Working Paper Series 158, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    19. Douglas A. Irwin, 2020. "Adam Smith's “tolerable administration of justice” and the Wealth of Nations," Scottish Journal of Political Economy, Scottish Economic Society, vol. 67(3), pages 231-247, July.
    20. Musungu, Arnold L. & Kubik, Zaneta & Qaim, Matin, 2023. "Drought Shocks and Labor Reallocation in Rural Africa: Evidence from Ethiopia," Discussion Papers 338675, University of Bonn, Center for Development Research (ZEF).
    21. Laura Jaitman, 2015. "Urban infrastructure in Latin America and the Caribbean: public policy priorities," Latin American Economic Review, Springer;Centro de Investigaciòn y Docencia Económica (CIDE), vol. 24(1), pages 1-57, December.

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