1.1.6
Consumer & Producer Surplus
Consumer & Producer Surplus
Consumer & Producer Surplus
Consumer and producer surplus is the benefit that goes to different economic agents as a result of buying and selling goods in the market.


Consumer surplus
Consumer surplus
- The demand line represents the value that consumers place on a particular good or service.
- At the market price each consumer who values the good or service at or above that price will buy and consume it. A number of consumers value the good or service above the market price and gain utility from the good compared to keeping the money they paid for it.
- The sum of all the extra benefit consumers in a market get from buying and consuming a good or service is the consumer surplus.


Producer surplus
Producer surplus
- The supply line represents the cost of producing a good or service.
- At the market price, firms who can produce the good or service at or below the market price will supply it to the market.
- The sum of the extra money earned above the cost of production is the producer surplus.


Total surplus
Total surplus
- Total surplus is the producer surplus plus the consumer surplus. Total surplus is the total benefit to society of economic agents buying and selling a particular good or service.
- If the market isn't at the market clearing equilibrium there is a deadweight loss. This is because there is an extra possible benefit to society which isn't being generated due to over or under production and consumption.
1Microeconomics
1.1Competitive Markets: Demand & Suply
1.2Elasticity
1.3Government Intervention
1.4Market Failure
1.4.1Types of Market Failure
1.4.2Introduction to Externalities
1.4.3Negative Externalities
1.4.4Policy for Negative Externalities
1.4.5Positive Externalities
1.4.6The Deadweight Welfare Loss of Externalities
1.4.7Case Study - The Externalities of Education
1.4.8Public Goods & the Free-Rider Problem
1.4.9Asymmetric Information
1.4.10End of Topic Test - Market Failure
1.4.11Application Questions - Market Failure
1.5HL: Theory of the Firm & Market Structures
2Macroeconomics
2.1The Level of Overall Economic Activity
2.2Aggregate Demand & Aggregate Supply
2.2.1The Aggregate Demand Curve
2.2.2Components of Aggregate Demand
2.2.3Shape of the Aggregate Demand Curve
2.2.4Shifts in Aggregate Demand
2.2.5IB Multiple Choice - Aggregate Demand
2.2.6Short & Long-Run Aggregate Supply
2.2.7Alternative Models of LRAS
2.2.8Equilibrium in the AD-AS Model
2.2.9Output Gaps & the AD-AS Model
2.3Macroeconomic Objectives
2.3.1Introduction to Unemployment
2.3.2Limitations of Unemployment
2.3.3Types of Unemployment
2.3.4Causes & Impact of Unemployment
2.3.5Defining Inflation
2.3.6Measuring Inflation
2.3.7Use of Index Numbers
2.3.8The Consumer Price Index
2.3.9Consequences of Inflation
2.3.10Causes of Inflation
2.3.11Inflation & Unemployment Tradeoff
2.3.12The Short-Run Phillips Curve
2.3.13The Long-Run Phillips Curve
2.4Economic Growth, Poverty & Inequality
2.5Fiscal Policy
2.6Monetary Policy
2.7Supply-Side Policies
3The Global Economy
3.1International Trade
3.2Exchange Rates
3.3The Balance of Payments
3.4Economic Integration
3.5Terms of Trade
3.6Economic Development
3.7The Role of Domestic & International Factors
3.8The Role of International Trade
3.9The Role of Foreign Aid
Jump to other topics
1Microeconomics
1.1Competitive Markets: Demand & Suply
1.2Elasticity
1.3Government Intervention
1.4Market Failure
1.4.1Types of Market Failure
1.4.2Introduction to Externalities
1.4.3Negative Externalities
1.4.4Policy for Negative Externalities
1.4.5Positive Externalities
1.4.6The Deadweight Welfare Loss of Externalities
1.4.7Case Study - The Externalities of Education
1.4.8Public Goods & the Free-Rider Problem
1.4.9Asymmetric Information
1.4.10End of Topic Test - Market Failure
1.4.11Application Questions - Market Failure
1.5HL: Theory of the Firm & Market Structures
2Macroeconomics
2.1The Level of Overall Economic Activity
2.2Aggregate Demand & Aggregate Supply
2.2.1The Aggregate Demand Curve
2.2.2Components of Aggregate Demand
2.2.3Shape of the Aggregate Demand Curve
2.2.4Shifts in Aggregate Demand
2.2.5IB Multiple Choice - Aggregate Demand
2.2.6Short & Long-Run Aggregate Supply
2.2.7Alternative Models of LRAS
2.2.8Equilibrium in the AD-AS Model
2.2.9Output Gaps & the AD-AS Model
2.3Macroeconomic Objectives
2.3.1Introduction to Unemployment
2.3.2Limitations of Unemployment
2.3.3Types of Unemployment
2.3.4Causes & Impact of Unemployment
2.3.5Defining Inflation
2.3.6Measuring Inflation
2.3.7Use of Index Numbers
2.3.8The Consumer Price Index
2.3.9Consequences of Inflation
2.3.10Causes of Inflation
2.3.11Inflation & Unemployment Tradeoff
2.3.12The Short-Run Phillips Curve
2.3.13The Long-Run Phillips Curve
2.4Economic Growth, Poverty & Inequality
2.5Fiscal Policy
2.6Monetary Policy
2.7Supply-Side Policies
3The Global Economy
3.1International Trade
3.2Exchange Rates
3.3The Balance of Payments
3.4Economic Integration
3.5Terms of Trade
3.6Economic Development
3.7The Role of Domestic & International Factors
3.8The Role of International Trade
3.9The Role of Foreign Aid
Unlock your full potential with Seneca Premium
Unlimited access to 10,000+ open-ended exam questions
Mini-mock exams based on your study history
Unlock 800+ premium courses & e-books