Rate My Professor Mats Olsson

Mats Olsson is Professor in the Department of Economic History at Lund University School of Economics and Management. He earned his PhD from Lund University in 2002, with the dissertation 'Storgodsdrift. Godsekonomi och arbetsorganisation i Skåne från dansk tid till mitten av 1800-talet,' published in Lund Studies in Economic History 20, preceded by a licentiate thesis 'Godset, makten, räntan och byn - fyra agrarhistoriska studier' in 2001. Olsson's research focuses on economic change, work, and inequality from 1500 to 1900, including wealth and income distribution, origins of industrialization, wage formation and labor force dynamics, the agrarian revolution, institutional change, peasant politics, the manorial system, and landed aristocracy in Sweden. He also serves as Professor in the Growth, technological change, and inequality research group, contributing insights aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goals such as no poverty, zero hunger, good health, decent work, reduced inequalities, and sustainable communities.

Key publications by Olsson include 'Wealth inequality in Sweden 1750–1900' (2018, The Economic History Review, 142 citations), 'Agricultural growth and institutions: Sweden 1700–1860' (2010, European Review of Economic History, 119 citations), 'Manorial economy and corvée labour in southern Sweden 1650–1850' (2006, The Economic History Review), 'Skatta dig lycklig. Jordränta och jordbruk i Skåne 1660-1900' (2005 book), his doctoral monograph (2002, 107 citations), 'Monopsony power and wages: Evidence from the introduction of serfdom in Denmark' (2022, The Economic Journal), and 'Aristocratic wealth and inequality in a changing society: Sweden, 1750–1900' (2019, Scandinavian Journal of History). In 2020, he received the Heckscher Prize shared with Kathryn Gary. With approximately 1,148 citations on Google Scholar across 92 research outputs, including journal articles, book chapters, and edited volumes, Olsson has profoundly influenced studies of pre-industrial economic development, rural economies, and long-term inequality patterns. Recent works encompass 'Wealth, work, and industriousness, 1670–1860: evidence from rural Swedish probates' (2025, Rural History) and 'Historical manufacturing census of Sweden: Data description and quality assessment' (2026, Historical Methods).