Land, the single greatest asset for the poor

In 2006, the income of Chinese urban residents was 3.28 times that of the rural ones, where 700 million farmers or 56 percent of total population live.

The new survey from the Cato Institute shows how secure land rights can reinvigorate China's rural economy. The graph (below) displays a correlation between issuance of contracts and certificates and farmers' mid and long-term investment in land.

The report also contains an analysis of a Property Law aimed at creating greater land-tenure rights, passed in March of 2007.