Regional Inequality in Spain: An Evaluation Based on Taxable Agricultural Wealth (1858–1923)

Abstract Findings reveal a steady decline in deflated taxable agricultural wealth in Spain during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, coinciding with the expansion of agricultural land, limited technological advancements, and the continuance of a large labor force. Some provinces adopted irrigation, but overall agricultural wealth declined from 1885. After a 1913 tax reform introduced new regulations, taxable wealth increased, reflecting higher land productivity and a reduced labor force, indicating increased labor productivity. Initially inequality between provinces remained stable. However, the twentieth century saw declining inequality across provincial groups. These changes were not driven by technical improvements, except for increased irrigation in some provinces within the same groups. Instead, crop shifts and greater focus on livestock contributing to greater productivity.