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Property rights for the world's poor could unlock trillions in 鈥榙ead capital鈥. According to one economist, the value of extralegal property globally exceeds 10 trillion dollars.

Ensuring property rights for the world's poor could unlock trillions in 鈥榙ead capital鈥. According to Peruvian economist Hernando de Soto, the value of extralegal property globally exceeds 10 trillion dollars. Nobody has ever disputed that property rights matter for investment: experts point to a direct correlation between a nation鈥檚 wealth and having an adequate property rights system. This is because real estate is a form of capital and capital raises economic productivity and thus creates wealth. Mr de Soto's understanding 鈥 that title frees up credit, turning 鈥榙ead capital鈥 into 鈥榣ive capital鈥 鈥 has prompted governments in other countries to undertake large-scale property-titling campaigns.

Voting for the 51st Thing has now closed. The winning 鈥渢hing鈥 will be revealed on Saturday 28 October 2017.

Producer: Ben Crighton
Editors: Richard Knight and Richard Vadon

(Image: Hernando de Soto, Credit: Getty Images)

Available now

9 minutes

Last on

Mon 2 Oct 2017 03:50GMT

Sources and related links

Hernando de Soto - The mystery of capital, New York: Basic Books, 2000

Christopher Woodruff - 'Review of de Soto's The mystery of capital', Journal of Economic Literature Vol 39, December 2001

The World Bank Group - Doing business in 2005

Robert 成人快手 and Hilary Lim - Demystifying the mystery of capital: Land tenure, London: Glasshouse Press, 2004

Tim Besley - 'Property rights and investment incentives: Theory and evidence from Ghana', Journal of Political Economy

Broadcasts

  • Sat 30 Sep 2017 02:50GMT
  • Sat 30 Sep 2017 19:50GMT
  • Mon 2 Oct 2017 03:50GMT

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