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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 蜜芽传媒 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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