Search results
- DictionaryEc·o·nom·ics/ˌekəˈnämiks/
plural
- 1. the branch of knowledge concerned with the production, consumption, and transfer of wealth.
- 2. the condition of a region or group as regards material prosperity: "he is responsible for the island's modest economics"
Apr 4, 2024 · Economics is a social science that studies how people allocate scarce resources for production, distribution, and consumption. Learn about the two branches of economics, microeconomics and macroeconomics, and the key indicators and systems that measure and shape the economy.
Economics (/ ˌ ɛ k ə ˈ n ɒ m ɪ k s, ˌ iː k ə-/) is a social science that studies the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. Economics focuses on the behaviour and interactions of economic agents and how economies work.
Economics is the social science that studies how people make choices under scarcity and how economies work. Learn about the history, branches, methods, and applications of economics from Britannica.
Below, we’ve provided links to short articles that illustrate what economics is and how it connects to our everyday lives. Economics can be defined in a few different ways. It’s the study of scarcity, the study of how people use resources and respond to incentives, or the study of decision-making.
- Introduction to FRED. Data is very important in economics because it describes and measures the issues and problems that economics seek to understand. A variety of government agencies publish economic and social data.
- The Problem of Scarcity. Think about all the things you consume: food, shelter, clothing, transportation, healthcare, and entertainment. How do you acquire those items?
- The Division of and Specialization of Labor. The formal study of economics began when Adam Smith (1723–1790) published his famous book The Wealth of Nations in 1776.
- Why the Division of Labor Increases Production. When we divide and subdivide the tasks involved with producing a good or service, workers and businesses can produce a greater quantity of output.
Learn how to define economics as a social science that examines how people choose among the alternatives available to them. Explore the concepts of scarcity, choice, and opportunity cost, and the three fundamental economic questions: What should be produced? How should goods and services be produced? For whom should goods and services be produced?
Economics is the study of given ends and scarce means. Lionel Robbins, biography, from the Concise Encyclopedia of Economics: Robbins’ most famous book was An Essay on the Nature and Significance of Economic Science, one of the best-written prose pieces in economics. That book contains three main thoughts.
