Research Reports

This note documents a cost-benefit analysis of scaling up land reform efforts across Malawi. The results indicate that the expected BCR is very high, at 73 kwacha for every kwacha spent. This figure is based on several assumptions – costs drawn from pilot land-titling programs in Malawi, benefits drawn from land value reports also from Malawi. The most uncertain parameter of the analysis is the expected benefit of land titling, which is proxied as a 25% and 10% increase in urban and rural land values respectively following mostly international experience. Nevertheless, sensitivity analyses show that the range of BCR values rests in the upper end of the estimated BCRs from Malawi Priorities and other Copenhagen Consensus country projects. The report provides strong impetus to ensure there are no further delays to the implementation of the land reform agenda in Malawi. For a country with an aspiration of wealth creation, land titling is one effective way to generate substantial economic benefits for the vast majority of Malawians.

A Cost-Benefit Note: Implementing the National Land Policy in Malawi - Technical Report