New dataset on income support in Poland's rural areas

In this article, we introduce a new dataset to complement the existing evidence on economic inequalities in Poland's rural areas. This important dataset uses annual information on the beneficiaries of income support, which is paid to farmers within the European Common Agricultural Policy and covers the period 2014-2021. The data can be used to analyse the changing distribution of this support at municipality level using conventional inequality measures. Since part of the support is granted per eligible hectare, our data can also serve as a good approximation of land use distribution, and thus allow researchers to scrutinise the changes in the distribution of an important component of the wealth of many people living in rural areas. The paper presents selected findings on the distribution of income support granted to land users in the studied period and suggests potential research areas, for which the presented dataset can provide useful insights.

Automated summary

This article presents a new dataset to supplement the existing evidence on economic inequalities in rural Poland. The dataset contains annual information on the beneficiaries of income support paid to farmers from 2014 to 2021. The data can be used to analyze the changing distribution of this support at the municipal level and to approximate land use distribution, allowing researchers to examine changes in the distribution of wealth in rural areas. The article also presents selected findings and potential research areas.