About
Ellen Hillbom is a Professor in Economic Development in the Global South at the Department of Economic History, Lund University. Her research focuses on Southern and Eastern Africa, addressing historical and contemporary issues in agricultural and structural transformation, long-term inequality trends, natural resource dependency, and property rights governing agricultural resources. She is affiliated with the African Economic History Network (AEHN), which is funded by institutions such as Wageningen University and the Riksbankens Jubileumsfond.
Her work spans colonial and post-colonial economic dynamics, with a particular emphasis on quantifying historical inequality, analyzing colonial institutions, and exploring the interplay between agricultural policies and socio-economic outcomes. Recent research includes studies on export-oriented commercialization in colonial Africa and the fiscal capacity of Ghana over time.
- Key Research Themes: Colonial economic systems, agricultural development, resource management, and long-term inequality.
- Network Involvement: Co-founder and active member of the AEHN, contributing to interdisciplinary research and policy discussions.
Hillbom’s publications combine rigorous quantitative analysis with historical context, bridging gaps between methodologies and source materials to advance understanding of Africa’s economic trajectory. She has collaborated extensively with researchers such as Jutta Bolt and Ewout Frankema, producing influential works on topics like settler farming failures and Botswana’s economic inequality patterns.
