Readers question: Explain the main factors which affect population size and growth? Population growth is determined by fertility rates (the number of children per adult) – fatality rates. Birth rates and mortality rates are, in turn, determined by a combination of factors. Often economic growth and economic development have led to a decline in population …
Inflation, in the UK, is calculated through measuring changes in the cost of living. The official method is the CPI – Consumer Price Index. CPI Measures the annual % change in price level. Steps for Calculating Inflation Firstly, the government (through ONS) undertake the Family Expenditure Survey (FES). The FES is a voluntary survey of …
Readers Question: I’d like to ask you about routine ways (apart from so called “printing new money”) by which the total volume of money in the economy grows. The money supply measures the stock of money in the economy. A narrow definition of money (M0) includes the stock of notes/coins and operational deposits at Bank …
Collusion occurs when rival firms agree to work together – e.g. setting higher prices in order to make greater profits. Collusion is a way for firms to make higher profits at the expense of consumers and reduces the competitiveness of the market. In the above example, a competitive industry will have price P1 and Q …
In 2013, 11.2% of the world population had a daily income of less than $1.90 (WB) In 2013, 48.7% of the world population had a daily income of less than $5.50 (WB) In 2015, 736 million people lived on less than $1.90 a day, down from 1.85 billion in 1990 (WB) According to UN report …
Readers Question I am confused by the statement that is written in my O level text book (Economics Author: Dan Moynihan; Brian Titley). It says that if the current account is in surplus the financial account will be in deficit. Is this true? Yes, it is true Firstly, the current account on balance of payments …
What are the advantages and disadvantages of monopolies? Monopolies are firms who dominate the market. Either a pure monopoly with 100% market share or a firm with monopoly power (more than 25%) A monopoly tends to set higher prices than a competitive market leading to lower consumer surplus. However, on the other hand, monopolies can …
A look at factors that determine bond yields. Firstly, bond yields have an inverse relationship with the price of bonds. If demand for bonds rises (and therefore price of a bond goes up), the yield goes down. A £1,000 bond that has an interest rate of 5% – means the government will pay £50 interest payment …