Can Partible Inheritance Explain Land Fragmentation? The Case of Bulgaria

Partible inheritance, alone or together with population growth, is widely assumed to be the fundamental cause of land fragmentation in Bulgaria. This study questions the explanatory power of these two supply-side causes of fragmentation. Relying on historical sources and an analysis of historical agricultural census data, the article presents evidence that partible inheritance and population growth are unlikely causes of land fragmentation. The study also traces the development of land markets to establish the purchasing behaviour of farmers. It reveals documented high demand for scattered plots of land in the years before Liberation from Ottoman rule. Attention is drawn to demand-side factors such as the risk aversion of farmers and optimization of self-employment, among others, as the likely fundamental causes of fragmentation. The article suggests that the possible endogenous nature of fragmentation in the country must be taken into account when policies are designed to target its undesirable aspects.