Mozambique is a low-income country with a complex and brutal economic and social history. As far as records go back, many regions of the country have never enjoyed any prolonged period of peace or stability. Labour coercion and political repression were employed throughout hundreds of years until Independence in 1975 and the first multi-party elections were only held in 1994. The legacies of the past remain important today and significant divisions, particularly between regions, remain critical.
In the Mozambique case study we explore how past inequalities shape present-day outcomes in a range of domains. As a first step, we are investigating the relationship between political participation and socio-economic inequalities. This involves matching detailed voting behaviour to the full census data from 1997 and 2007. We also intend to review the legacy of labour coercion on different aspects of trust, including willingness to contribute to public goods. This will involve the collection of new data and application of behavioural games.
The Mozambique case study is run by UNU-WIDER.