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Property rights, resource reallocation and welfare effects: Evidence from a land certification programme

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: The paper finds that stronger property rights proxied by land certification reform result in resource reallocation and improve the welfare of rural households. Using the implementation of the land certification programme in China as a quasi-natural experiment, the study shows that households that obtained land certificates are 19 % more likely to rent out their agricultural land , 14 % more likely to allocate household workers to non-agricultural sectors and 13 % more likely to have migrant workers , which improves household income and consumption in rural China. In contrast, the study finds that the land reform did not affect household’s land renting-in, and the average cultivated area of rural households declines after the reform.

Source: Land Use Policy

DOI: 10.1016/j.landusepol.2025.107562

Authors: Chengzheng Li, Huiru Xie, Zhiwen Huang, Qingen Gai

Institutions: Jinan University, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou), Columbia University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University

Language: English

Topic: Land Rights and Reforms

Subfield: Soil Science

Field: Agricultural and Biological Sciences

Domain: Life Sciences

SDGs: No poverty, Peace, justice, and strong institutions, Decent work and economic growth

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,830