Reconstruction Aid, Public Infrastructure, and Economic Development: The Case of the Marshall Plan in Italy

Michela Giorcelli and Nicola Bianchi

No 29537, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

Abstract: The Marshall Plan (1948–1952) was the largest aid transfer in history. This paper estimates its effects on Italy’s postwar economic development. It exploits differences between Italian provinces in the value of reconstruction grants they received. Provinces that could modernize more their infrastructure experienced higher increases in agricultural production, especially for perishable crops. In the same provinces, we observe larger investments in labor-saving machines, the entry of more firms into the industrial sector, and a larger expansion of the industrial and service workforce.

JEL-codes: H84 N34 N44 O12 O33 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021-12
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-his and nep-lma
Note: DAE
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Published as Bianchi, Nicola & Giorcelli, Michela, 2023. "Reconstruction Aid, Public Infrastructure, and Economic Development: The Case of the Marshall Plan in Italy," The Journal of Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 83(2), pages 501-537, June.

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