Egypt’s 1952 agrarian reform reduced persistent inequality and the dominance of the landed elite, but failed to lift up the poorest landowners and the landless.

The Middle East is one of the most unequal regions in the world today, yet little is known about the long-term dynamics of inequality in the region. Among assets, land plays a crucial role in explaining underlying political and social inequalities. Egypt provides an interesting case study, with its changing political regimes from the colonial era under the British protectorate until 1923, the constitutional monarchy under nominal independence until the military coup of 1952, and the republican era under successive presidents Nasser (1956-1970), Sadat (1970-1981) and Mubarak (1981-2011).

A new research paper by Rowaida Moshrif provides a comprehensive analysis of land inequality in Egypt from 1896 to 2020. The study examines inequality patterns both among landowners and when including landless populations, while also evaluating the redistributive effects of the 1952 agrarian reform that followed Egypt’s 1952 agrarian reform.

Key findings:

• Redistribution efforts brought the top 1% landowners share from 42% in the early 20th century to 27% by 1980. The results reveal an extreme concentration of land in the early 20th century, with the top 1% of landowners controlling over 42% of privately-owned agricultural land on the eve of Egypt’s 1952 agrarian reform.
• The reform most benefitted middle landowners – those owning 1 to 5 feddans (1 feddan = 0.42 hectares). Their share increased from 20% to 30%, consolidating their position within the rural economy.
• The reform fell short in reaching the smallest landowners and landless laborers – the most vulnerable groups. The bottom 50% saw only a marginal increase in their land share, from 6% to 8%.
• By examining the full distribution of land – from the landless to the largest landowners – this study provides the first long-term, granular series on land inequality for Egypt. It shows how land reforms in a post-colonial setting are deeply embedded in pre-colonial power structures and institutional arrangements. It also discusses the role of Nasserist socialist policies and Sadat-era liberal policies in reinforcing structural inequalities.

AUTHOR

• Rowaida Moshrif, PhD candidate at EHESS-Paris School of Economics, and Co-director at the World Inequality Lab. Contact: rowaida.moshrif[at]psemail.eu

MEDIA CONTACT

• press[at]wid.world