The Effects of Land Inequality on Economic Growth: A Regional and Comparative Study, 1950-1970

Abstract

This paper seeks to improve regional and national databases. Apart from Taylor and Hudson (1972), Deininger and Squire (1999), and Frankema (2008), there are no estimates for land inequality, that is, landgini indices for Latin America for the period 1950-1970. Furthermore, the estimates of these authors are incomplete and only focus on the national level. The objective of this paper is to fill in the gaps in the literature by offering new and original estimates of landgini indices for all Latin American countries, and by extension for the United States, Canada, and Western Europe, both nationally and regionally. The paper presents the methodology and sources used to estimate the landginis indices, compare them with previous estimates and offer a more complete and global picture of land inequality. This paper presents the largest compilation of data on land inequality for this period. Furthermore, thanks to the new and original database offered in this paper, more complete regional and national studies can be derived.