Property Register
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Ensuring property rights for the world's poor could unlock trillions in \\u2018dead capital\\u2019. According to Peruvian economist Hernando de Soto, the value of extralegal property globally exceeds 10 trillion dollars. Nobody has ever disputed that property rights matter for investment: experts point to a direct correlation between a nation\\u2019s wealth and having an adequate property rights system. This is because real estate is a form of capital and capital raises economic productivity and thus creates wealth. Mr de Soto's understanding \\u2013 that title frees up credit, turning \\u2018dead capital\\u2019 into \\u2018live capital\\u2019 \\u2013 has prompted governments in other countries to undertake large-scale property-titling campaigns.
Voting for the 51st Thing has now closed. The winning \\u201cthing\\u201d will be revealed on Saturday 28 October 2017.
Producer: Ben Crighton\\nEditors: Richard Knight and Richard Vadon
(Image: Hernando de Soto, Credit: Getty Images)
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