Land ownership inequality in post-communist EU member states: A comparative analysis

The thesis investigates the issue of land ownership inequality in post-communist EU member states such as Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary. Its aim is to demonstrate how existing patterns of land concentration have been impacted by the legacy of collectivisation, post-1989 land reforms, and European integration.

Based on a literature review and quantitative analysis using Eurostat data, the Gini coefficient, and Lorenz curves, it is shown that all the countries studied are characterised by high levels of land concentration, although the forms of land concentration vary between countries. The fundamental conclusion of the research is that since effective control over land frequently takes place through leases, capital, and indirect mechanisms, examining legal ownership alone is insufficient to fully understand land inequality.