economics research question examples

Research Question Examples 🧑🏻‍🏫

25+ Practical Examples & Ideas To Help You Get Started 

By: Derek Jansen (MBA) | October 2023

A well-crafted research question (or set of questions) sets the stage for a robust study and meaningful insights.  But, if you’re new to research, it’s not always clear what exactly constitutes a good research question. In this post, we’ll provide you with clear examples of quality research questions across various disciplines, so that you can approach your research project with confidence!

Research Question Examples

• Psychology research questions
• Business research questions
• Education research questions
• Healthcare research questions
• Computer science research questions

Examples: Psychology

Let’s start by looking at some examples of research questions that you might encounter within the discipline of psychology.

How does sleep quality affect academic performance in university students?

This question is specific to a population (university students) and looks at a direct relationship between sleep and academic performance, both of which are quantifiable and measurable variables.

What factors contribute to the onset of anxiety disorders in adolescents?

The question narrows down the age group and focuses on identifying multiple contributing factors. There are various ways in which it could be approached from a methodological standpoint, including both qualitatively and quantitatively.

Do mindfulness techniques improve emotional well-being?

This is a focused research question aiming to evaluate the effectiveness of a specific intervention.

How does early childhood trauma impact adult relationships?

This research question targets a clear cause-and-effect relationship over a long timescale, making it focused but comprehensive.

Is there a correlation between screen time and depression in teenagers?

This research question focuses on an in-demand current issue and a specific demographic, allowing for a focused investigation. The key variables are clearly stated within the question and can be measured and analysed (i.e., high feasibility).

Examples: Business/Management

Next, let’s look at some examples of well-articulated research questions within the business and management realm.

How do leadership styles impact employee retention?

This is an example of a strong research question because it directly looks at the effect of one variable (leadership styles) on another (employee retention), allowing from a strongly aligned methodological approach.

What role does corporate social responsibility play in consumer choice?

Current and precise, this research question can reveal how social concerns are influencing buying behaviour by way of a qualitative exploration.

Does remote work increase or decrease productivity in tech companies?

Focused on a particular industry and a hot topic, this research question could yield timely, actionable insights that would have high practical value in the real world.

How do economic downturns affect small businesses in the homebuilding industry?

Vital for policy-making, this highly specific research question aims to uncover the challenges faced by small businesses within a certain industry.

Which employee benefits have the greatest impact on job satisfaction?

By being straightforward and specific, answering this research question could provide tangible insights to employers.

Examples: Education

Next, let’s look at some potential research questions within the education, training and development domain.

How does class size affect students’ academic performance in primary schools?

This example research question targets two clearly defined variables, which can be measured and analysed relatively easily.

Do online courses result in better retention of material than traditional courses?

Timely, specific and focused, answering this research question can help inform educational policy and personal choices about learning formats.

What impact do US public school lunches have on student health?

Targeting a specific, well-defined context, the research could lead to direct changes in public health policies.

To what degree does parental involvement improve academic outcomes in secondary education in the Midwest?

This research question focuses on a specific context (secondary education in the Midwest) and has clearly defined constructs.

What are the negative effects of standardised tests on student learning within Oklahoma primary schools?

This research question has a clear focus (negative outcomes) and is narrowed into a very specific context.

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Examples: Healthcare

Shifting to a different field, let’s look at some examples of research questions within the healthcare space.

What are the most effective treatments for chronic back pain amongst UK senior males?

Specific and solution-oriented, this research question focuses on clear variables and a well-defined context (senior males within the UK).

How do different healthcare policies affect patient satisfaction in public hospitals in South Africa?

This question is has clearly defined variables and is narrowly focused in terms of context.

Which factors contribute to obesity rates in urban areas within California?

This question is focused yet broad, aiming to reveal several contributing factors for targeted interventions.

Does telemedicine provide the same perceived quality of care as in-person visits for diabetes patients?

Ideal for a qualitative study, this research question explores a single construct (perceived quality of care) within a well-defined sample (diabetes patients).

Which lifestyle factors have the greatest affect on the risk of heart disease?

This research question aims to uncover modifiable factors, offering preventive health recommendations.

Examples: Computer Science

Last but certainly not least, let’s look at a few examples of research questions within the computer science world.

What are the perceived risks of cloud-based storage systems?

Highly relevant in our digital age, this research question would align well with a qualitative interview approach to better understand what users feel the key risks of cloud storage are.

Which factors affect the energy efficiency of data centres in Ohio?

With a clear focus, this research question lays a firm foundation for a quantitative study.

How do TikTok algorithms impact user behaviour amongst new graduates?

While this research question is more open-ended, it could form the basis for a qualitative investigation.

What are the perceived risk and benefits of open-source software software within the web design industry?

Practical and straightforward, the results could guide both developers and end-users in their choices.

Remember, these are just examples…

In this post, we’ve tried to provide a wide range of research question examples to help you get a feel for what research questions look like in practice. That said, it’s important to remember that these are just examples and don’t necessarily equate to good research topics . If you’re still trying to find a topic, check out our topic megalist for inspiration.

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Researching and writing for Economics students

3 economics: methods, approaches, fields and relevant questions, 3.1 economic theory and empirical work: what is it.

What is economic theory and what can it do?

Unlike “theory” in some other social science disciplines, economic theory is mostly based on mathematical modelling and rigorous proof that certain conclusions or results can be derived from certain assumptions. But theory alone can say little about the real world.

In Economics: Models = Theory = Mathematics… for the most part.

What is empirical work and what can it do?

In contrast, empirical work gathers evidence from the real world, usually organized into systematic data sets.

It tries to bring evidence to refute or substantiate economics theory,

It tries to estimate parameters such as price elasticity or the government spending multiplier in specific contexts

It rigorously presents broad “stylized facts”, providing a clear picture of a market, industry, or situation

Much empirical work itself relies on assumptions, either assumptions from economic theory, or assumptions about the data itself, or both. But empirical work does not “prove” anything. Instead, it presents evidence in favour of or against certain hypotheses, estimates parameters, and can, using the classical statistical framework, reject (or fail to reject) certain null hypotheses. What “rejecting” means is “if the assumptions underlying my estimation technique are correct, then it is highly unlikely that the null hypothesis holds.”

3.2 Normative vs. Positive

The word ‘Normative’, also called ‘prescriptive’, often refers to what ought to be, what an ideal policy would be, or how to think about judging whether this is a justifiable welfare function.

“Positive” work claims to be value-neutral and to address what is or what must be going on in the real world. Most modern economists would probably claim their work is “positive”, and in this sense, “prescriptive” is often used as a pejorative, In my experience. However, prescriptive papers can be very valuable if done well.

Note: There is also another context in which you will hear the expression ‘normative analysis.’ This may also be used to describe microeconomic analysis derived from the axioms of rational optimising behavior; this describes much of what you have covered in your textbook. This dual meaning of the word ‘normative’ is admittedly confusing!

3.3 Theoretical vs. Empirical (techniques)

Papers that use theory (modeling) as a technique typically start from a series of assumptions and try to derive results simply from these assumptions. They may motivate their focus or assumptions using previous empirical work and anecdotes, but these papers do not use themselves data nor do they do what we call “econometrics”. Remember that in Economics “theory papers” are usually highly mathematical and formal.

Empirical papers use evidence from the real world, usually to test hypotheses, but also to generate description and help formulate ideas and hypotheses.

3.4 Theoretical vs. Applied (focus)

“Theoretical” can also be used to describe a paper’s focus; a theoretical paper in this sense will address fundamentals of economic modeling. In theory, these may be widely applied across a range of fields, but they do not typically address any single issue of policy or focus on a specific industry. These papers are often very difficult to read and there is argument about whether many such papers will ultimately “trickle-down” to having practical use. These papers typically used theory and modeling techniques rather than empirics. However some empirical papers may be aimed at addressing fundamental theoretical issues and parameters.

Papers with an “applied” focus will directly target a policy issue or a puzzle or question about the functioning of certain market or nonmarket interactions. Nearly all of the papers you will read and work on as an undergraduate are “applied” in this sense.

3.5 Categories of empirical approaches

“causal” vs. “descriptive”.

“Causal” papers try to get at whether one factor or event “A” can be seen to directly “cause” an outcome “B”. For example, “does an individual getting more years of schooling lead him or her to have higher income, on average?” A good way to think about this conception of causality is to consider the counterfactual: if a typical person who received a university degree had been randomly selected to not get this education, would her income have been lower than it now is? Similarly (but not identically) if the typical person without his education had been randomly input into a university program, would her income now be greater?

Since the real world does not usually present such clean experiments, “causal” empirical researchers rely on various techniques which usually themselves depend on" identification assumptions." See, for example, control strategies, difference in difference, and instrumental variables techniques.

“Descriptive” papers essentially aim to present a picture of “what the data looks like” in an informative way. Causal relationships may be suggested but the authors are not making a strong claim that they can identify these. They may present a data-driven portrait of an industry, of wealth and inequality in a country or globally over time, of particular patterns and trends in consumption, of a panel of governments’ monetary and fiscal policy, etc. They may focus on the ‘functional form’ of relationships in the data and the ‘residual’ or ‘error structure. They may hint at causal relationships or propose a governing model. They may identify a ’puzzle’ in the data (e.g., the ‘equity premium puzzle’) and propose potential explanations. They may use the data to ‘provide support’ for these explanations. 5 They may devote much of the paper to providing a theoretical explanation (remember, in Economics these are usually mathematical models) for the pattern. They may also run statistical tests and report confidence intervals; one can establish a ‘statistically significant’ relationship between two variables even if the relationship is not (necessarily) causal. This is particular important when one sees the data as subject to measurement error and/or as a sample from a larger population. E.g., just because age and wealth (or height and head-size, or political affiliation and food-preference) are strongly related to one another in a random representative sample of 10 people does not mean they are strongly related to one another in the entire population . 6

Structural vs. Reduced Form

This is a rather complicated issue, and there are long debates over the merits of each approach.

In brief, structural empirical papers might be said to use theory to derive necessary relationships between variables and appropriate functional forms, often as part of a system of questions describing a broad model. They then “take this model to the data”, and estimate certain parameters; these estimates rely on the key structural assumptions and the chosen functional form (which is often selected for convenience) holding in the real world. They may also try to check how “robust” the estimates are to alternate assumptions and forms. Structural estimates can then be used to make precise predictions and welfare calculations.

Reduced form work may begin with some theoretical modeling but it will not usually try to estimate the model directly. Reduced form work often involves estimating single equations which may be “partial equilibrium”, and they may often use linear regression and interpret it as a “best linear approximation” to the true unknown functional form. Reduced form researchers often claim that results are “more robust” than structural work, while proponents of structural work may claim that reduced form econometrics is not theoretically grounded and thus meaningless.

Most of you are likely to focus on reduced form empirical work.

Quantitative vs. qualitative (the latter is rare in economics)

Quantitative research deals with data that can be quantified, i.e., expressed in terms of numbers and strict categories, often with hierarchical relationships.

Qualitative research is rarely done in modern economics. It relies on “softer” forms of data like interviews that cannot be reduced to a number or parameter, and cannot be dealt with using statistical techniques.

3.6 Methodological research

Methodological research is aimed at producing and evaluating techniques and approaches that can be used by other researchers. Most methodological research in economics is done by econometricians, who develop and evaluate techniques for estimating relationships using data.

3.7 Fields of economics, and some classic questions asked in each field

Economics is about choices under conditions of scarcity, the interaction of individuals governments and firms, and the consequences of these. [citation needed]

Microeconomics

Preferences and choices under constraints ; e.g., “how do risk-averse individuals choose among a set of uncertain gambles?” … “How does consumption of leisure change in response to an increase in the VAT?”

Game theory, interactions ; … “How do individuals coordinate in ‘stag hunt’ games, and are these equilibria robust to small errors?”

Mechanism design and contract theory ; … “How can a performance scheme be designed to induce the optimal level of effort with asymmetric information about ability?”

Equilibrium ; … “Is the general equilibrium of an economy with indivisible goods Pareto optimal?”

Macroeconomics

Stabilisation ; … “how do changes in the level of government spending affect the changes in the rate of unemployment?”

Growth ; …“Why did GDP per capita increase in Western Europe between 1950 and 1980?”

Aggregates, stocks, and flows ; … “Does a trade deficit lead to the government budget deficit, or vice/versa, (or both, or neither)?”

Money and Banking … “Does deposit insurance decrease the likelihood of a bank run?”

Financial Economics (not as broad as the first two)

“Can an investor use publicly-available information be used to systematically earn supernormal profits?” (the Efficient Markets Hypothesis)

Econometrics (methods/technique)

“What is the lowest mean squared error unbiased estimator of a gravity equation?”

Experimental economics (a technique)

Do laboratory subjects (usually students) coordinate on the efficient equilibrium in `stag hunt’ games? Do stronger incentives increase their likelihood this type of play?

Behavioural economics (an alternate approach to micro)

“Can individual choices over time be rationalised by standard exponential discounting, or do they follow another model, such as time inconsistent preferences and hyperbolic discounting?”

Applied fields

Development.

“Has the legacy of British institutions increased or decrease the level of GDP in former colonies?”

“Do greater unemployment benefits increase the length of an unemployment spell, and if so, to what extent?”

“Does public support for education increase or decrease income inequality?”

“Why did the industrial revolution first occur in Britain rather than in another country?”

“Are protectionist infant industry policies’ usually successful in fostering growth?”

International

“Do floating (rather than fixed) exchange rates lead to macroeconomic instability?”

Environmental

“What is the appropriate discount rate to use for considering costly measures to reduce carbon emissions?”

Industrial Organization

“Do firms innovate more or less when they have greater market power in an industry?”

“Do ‘single payer’ health care plans like the NHS provide basic health care services more or less efficiently then policies of mandated insurance and regulated exchanges like in the Netherlands?”

A more extensive definition and discussion of fields is in Appendix A of “Writing Economics”

Do you know?…

Which type of analysis typically uses the most ‘difficult, formal’ maths? 7

• Microeconomic theory
• Applied econometric analysis
• Descriptive macroeconomics

Another use of data: ‘calibrating’ models aka ‘calibration exercises’; I will not discuss this at the moment. ↩

Sometimes this can be confusing, particularly when the data seems to represent the entire ‘population’ of interest, such as an industry’s price and sales data in a relevant period. Without getting into an extensive discussion of the meaning of probability and statistics, I will suggest that we can see this as a ‘sample of the prices and sales that could have ocurred in any possible universe, or over a period of many years’. Ouch, this gets thorny, and there are strong debates in the Statistics world about this stuff. ↩

Answer: 1. Microeconomic theory ↩

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Graduate College Resources

Here are some essential resources provided by the Graduate College:

• Dissertation and Thesis Information
• Center for Communication Excellence
• Graduate College Handbook

Introduction to Research Methods

Research methods help you as a researcher answer a specific economic questions The first step in becoming a proficient researcher is to build some skills in finding, evaluating and using academic literature. Research in economics, as in any other academic field,builds on the work of previous researchers. A literature review is a important first step when beginning a research project to get an sense of what research has already been done on the topic.

A literature review is a survey of existing literature that provides context for your research contribution, and demonstrates your subject knowledge. It is also the way to tell the story of how your research extends knowledge in your field.

The first step to writing a successful literature review is knowing how to find and evaluate literature on your topic.This guide is designed to introduce you to tools and give you skills you can use to effectively  do economics research..

Below are some questions to think about as you begin your research:

Questions to ask as you think about your literature review:

What is my research question.

Choosing a valid research question is something you will need to discuss with your academic advisor and/or POS committee. Ideas for your topic may come from your coursework, lab rotations, or work as a research assistant. Having a specific research topic allows you to focus your research on a project that is manageable. Beginning work on your literature review can help narrow your topic.

What kind of literature review is appropriate for my research question?

Depending on your area of research, the type of literature review you do for your thesis will vary. Consult with your advisor about the requirements for your discipline. You can view theses and dissertations from your field in the library's Digital Repository can give you ideas about how your literature review should be structured.

What kind of literature should I use?

The kind of literature you use for your thesis will depend on your discipline. The Library has developed a list of Guides by Subject with discipline-specific resources. For a given subject area, look for the guide titles "[Discipline] Research Guide." You may also consult our liaison librarians for information about the literature available your research area.

How will I make sure that I find all the appropriate information that informs my research?

Consulting multiple sources of information is the best way to insure that you have done a comprehensive search of the literature in your area. The What Literature to Search tab has information about the types of resources you may need to search. You may also consult our liaison librarians for assistance with identifying resources..

How will I evaluate the literature to include trustworthy information and eliminate unnecessary or untrustworthy information?

While you are searching for relevant information about your topic you will need to think about the accuracy of the information, whether the information is from a reputable source, whether it is objective and current. Our guides about Evaluating Scholarly Books and Articles and Evaluating Websites will give you criteria to use when evaluating resources.

How should I organize my literature? What citation management program is best for me?

Citation management software can help you organize your references in folders and/or with tags. You can also annotate and highlight the PDFs within the software and usually the notes are searchable. To choose a good citation management software, you need to consider which one can be streamlined with your literature search and writing process. Here is a guide page comparing EndNote, Mendeley & Zotero. The Library also has guides for three of the major citation management tools:

• EndNote & EndNote Web Guide
• Mendeley Guide
• Getting Started with Zotero

What steps should I take to ensure academic integrity?

The best way to ensure academic integrity is to familiarize yourself with different types of intentional and unintentional plagiarism and learn about the University's standards for academic integrity. Start with this guide . The Library also has a guide about your rights and responsibilities regarding copyrighted images and figures that you include in your thesis.

Where can I find writing and editing help?

Writing and editing help is available at the Graduate College's Center for Communication Excellence . The CCE offers individual consultations, peer writing groups, workshops and seminars to help you improve your writing.

Where can I find I find formatting standards? Technical support?

The Graduate College has a Dissertation/ Thesis website with extensive examples and videos about formatting theses and dissertations. The site also has templates and formatting instructions for Word and LaTex .

What citation style should I use?

The Graduate College thesis guidelines require that you "use a consistent, current academic style for your discipline." The Library has a Citation Style Guides resource you can use for guidance on specific citation styles. If you are not sure, please consult your advisor or liaison librarians for help.

Adapted from The Literature Review: For Dissertations, by the University of Michigan Library. Available: https://guides.lib.umich.edu/dissertationlitreview

Presentation Slides

Slides from the ECON 594X class presentation" held on October 7, 2020 are below:

• ECON 594X Class presentation slides

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102 Best Econometrics Research Topics

College and university professors require students to write about econometrics research topics to gauge their comprehension of the relationship between mathematical economics, statistics, and economics.

The purpose of this integration is to provide numerical values to economic relationships and parameters. Usually, econometrics involves economic theories and their presentation in mathematical forms and the empirical study of business. Perhaps, this integration explains why some students struggle to choose topics for research in econometrics.

What Is Econometrics?

As hinted, econometrics is an economics branch that focuses on the relationships between economics, statistics, and mathematical economics. Ideally, econometrics entails the quantitative application of mathematical and statistical models using data to test hypotheses and develop economic theories while forecasting future trends based on historical data. Econometricians subject real-world data to various statistical trials while comparing and contrasting the results against the idea under examination.

Writing an econometric research paper is a process that starts with the selection of an interesting topic. Once you’ve chosen a title and the supervisor approves it, embark on extensive research using the prompt from your teacher. Proceed by gathering and analyzing all relevant information from different sources. Engaging in in-depth study and comprehensive analysis will enable you to write an informative paper that will compel the educator to award you the best grade in your class. Below are the steps to follow to write a high-quality econometric thesis or essay.

Write the introduction: Introduce your econometrics topic and tell the audience why it’s crucial. Also, include a thesis statement summarizing the entire paper. Describe the theoretical model: Tell the readers about the theoretical models to structure the empirical work. Present the data: Describe the data, whether time series or cross-sectional. Use descriptive statistics data and graphics if possible. Present the empirical model: Explain the model you intend to estimate and the functional form you intend to use. Present your empirical results: This section presents empirical results using a table to summarize them. Conclude the paper: Describe lessons from the research and state whether it supports the theory. Also, suggest approaches for future research on the topic.

Your paper should also include a reference section comprising the information sources you used to gather data.

Interesting Econometrics Paper Topics

Maybe you know the process of writing a paper on an econometrics topic but don’t have an idea to explore. If so, consider these exciting econometrics paper ideas.

• How privatizing public enterprises could affect economic development and policy
• Cashless economy: How demonetization affects medium and small businesses
• How Gini index dynamics reflect the income inequality problem
• Consumption evolution over the last decade: Consumer behavior and trends
• Investigating salary inequalities and the forces behind them
• How income changes affect consumer choices
• How does allowing the labor force to participate in public budgeting affect the economy
• How the marital status affect the labor force composition
• How consumption attitudes have changed over the last decade
• How economic convergence relates to salary levels
• How income affects life insurance
• The consequences of leaving the rat race
• Testing Okun’s Law in the U.S
• Analysis of spending on disposable income and imports
• Comparing the unemployment rate in the United States to the rest of the world
• Regional labor mobility and unemployment
• Stock market evolution: Analyzing the causes and effects
• How internet productivity relate to connectivity in the workplace
• How currency devaluation affects medium and small companies
• How government spending and inflation relate in an economy
• The relationship between stock prices and inflation in a country
• How income tax revenue affects a developing economy
• How government expenditure affects economic growth
• Factors contributing to the global recession
• How a country’s unemployment rate relates to economic growth

Any of these topics can be an excellent basis for an econometrics paper. However, you require extensive research about any of these topics to develop a winning thesis.

Undergraduate Econometrics Project Ideas

Maybe your school or faculty requires you to write an econometrics paper to graduate from university. In that case, consider these econometrics research topics for undergraduates.

• Analyzing the impact of income inequality on the poverty level
• Analyzing gender differences in education between developing and developed countries
• How immigration affects unemployment in the European Union
• How economic growth relates to trade
• Are immigrants more in countries with a high income?
• How high taxations affect GSP
• Analyzing the relationship between local income level and house prices
• How income, education, and life expectancy affect the human development index
• How inflation affects national savings
• How life expectancy relates to national income
• How financial development affects the economic growth of a country
• Crime index versus the average education years
• Investigating the correlation between youth unemployment and minimum wage
• How economic prosperity relate to government systems
• Economic factors that affect housing prices in the United States
• Economic factors contributing to homelessness in the U.S
• Socioeconomic and economic determinants of infant mortality
• Econometric analysis: Impact of trade barriers
• Why matching methods are essential in econometrics
• How a randomized experiment can aid econometrics
• Why instrumental variables matter in econometrics
• Can experts predict the future using econometrics?
• Econometrics as a numerical estimates source for economic relationship variables
• Ways of testing economic theories that econometricians present
• Regression discontinuity: Describe its application

These are great ideas to consider for an econometrics project. Nevertheless, you require sufficient time to research any of these topics and write a winning essay or dissertation.

Easy Econometric Research Topics

Perhaps, you need an easy topic for an econometrics paper. Maybe you have a short time to complete your assignment. In that case, these econometrics topics are ideal for you.

• Theory suggestion- The initial econometrics methodology step
• Why estimating variables is important
• The importance of Proof-reading once you have evaluated the variables
• Why testing a hypothesis matters
• The impact of poverty on education
• How poverty relates to childhood obesity
• Human development and income inequality
• The link between religion and ideologies on a country’s economy
• Income and importation- How do they connect?
• Personal income and life expectancy- What is the connection?
• The effects of minimum wage on unemployment
• Investigating monetary policies and bank regulations
• A study of the economies of scale
• The impact and relevance of comparative institutional economics
• Analyzing the effect of making a company international
• Studying the macroeconomics of rare events
• Investigating customer behavior towards green products
• Trade patterns: Investigating different trade patterns and their applications
• Different stochastic processes concepts
• Accurate stochastic processes prediction

Any of these topics can be a sound basis of a simple paper. Nevertheless, you still require time to research the idea and analyze data to develop a quality paper.

Financial Econometrics Research Paper Topics

Perhaps, you want to write an academic paper about a financial econometrics topic. If so, consider these ideas.

• How does bank regulation affect the economy?
• A critical look into the loan markets
• How a cashless policy affects the economy
• Structure and implementation of the monetary policy
• Lessons to learn from financial crises
• Investigating regression models
• Statistical tools in the financial econometrics

These are good topics to explore in financial econometrics. However, follow the prompt from your teacher to write an impressive paper.

Econometrics Empirical Project Ideas FExor Ph.D. Level

Maybe you’re pursuing your Ph.D. and want to write a dissertation about an econometrics topic. In that case, this category comprises excellent ideas for you.

• Analytical statistics versus theoretical statistics
• The effects of the low and high demand of labor on an economy
• The arbitrage pricing theory
• How goods production and productivity affect econometrics at a national level
• Applied econometrics- Its essence in turning qualitative economic ideas into quantitative ones
• Definition, relevance, and application of the general line model
• Theoretical econometrics’ study and application
• The macro behavioral theory
• Panel data methods applications- A microeconomics subsection
• The impacts of the spillover effect on econometrics
• The impact of labor supply on a local economy
• Why labor markets are essential to econometrics
• What is micro-econometrics modeling?
• Micro-econometrics methods and applications
• Statistical tools and their use in financial econometrics

This list also has fantastic economics paper topic ideas. But like the topics in the other sections, each of these notions requires extensive research to write a quality paper.

Exciting Econometrics Questions

Maybe you need a question to serve as the basis of your econometrics research. In that case, here are exciting queries to inspire you.

• What is the current state of your country’s economy?
• What’s the difference between the current state of the local and international trades?
• What are the latest forecasts for the global economy?
• How do the foreign exchange market and the local businesses relate?
• What’s the impact of exportation and importation on the local economy?
• How do businesses monopolies affect a country’s economy?
• What are the effects of international banks on the local banking sector?
• How does population growth affect economic development?
• How can a natural disaster affect an emerging economy?
• What techniques do companies use to “nudge” consumers into spending more?

This comprehensive list has some of the best econometrics ideas for essays and research papers. Nevertheless, having a topic is not a guarantee that you’ll write a good essay. You might still need help with your assignment after choosing a topic.

Get Help With Thesis About Econometrics Topic

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Welcome to our latest blog post on economics research topics! Whether you are an academic seeking inspiration or a student looking for a starting point for your next assignment, you've come to the right place. 

With so many areas to explore in economics, it can be difficult to know where to begin. But don't worry, we've got your back. In this post, our online paper writers have shared some of the most interesting and hot economics research paper topics. So, grab a cup of coffee and let's dive in!

What Are Economics Research Topics?

Economics is a social science that studies how people, businesses, and governments make decisions about how to use resources. It deals with issues like production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. 

As a student, you might be given to write a research paper on research topics in economics. These types of social science topics can cover a wide range of subjects, including:

• Macroeconomics
• Microeconomics
• International economics
• Behavioral economics, and more.

Whether you are interested in exploring current trends, global markets or history, or taxes, we collected a bunch of economics topics for a research paper to choose from. Stay with our service to spot the best idea for your upcoming project.

Characteristics of Good Economics Research Paper Topics

When it comes to selecting a research topic related to economics, it is important to decide on a subject that is not only interesting but also appropriate for your academic level. Consider these fundamental characteristics of good economics paper topics to make a wise choice:

• Select a title that is both relevant and is intended to solve a current issue.
• Choose a unique topic that has not been explored too much by other researchers.
• Make sure you can easily access the data or sources needed to create your paper.
• Consider if the topic has the potential to be of practical or social importance.
• Pick an area that genuinely interests you and will keep you motivated throughout your project.

How to Choose an Economics Research Paper Topic?

Choosing between this selection of economics project ideas can be really difficult especially if you are first to this. However, with a little bit of guidance, you will see that there is nothing challenging about picking a proper topic for a research paper in economics. Take a look at these step-by-step instructions to make the right decision:

• Brainstorm potential economics research topics that sound interesting to you in the first place. After all, you don’t want to work with boring aspects.
• Narrow your list down and consider whether there are enough resources to back up your research.
• Carry out preliminary investigation to see what you can write about. Use academic journals, newspapers, and other reputable sources to gather information.
• Check if the topic complies with your instructor’s guidelines.
• Based on your research and requirements alter a title to create a focused research question.

Remember to choose a topic that you are passionate about and that aligns with your academic and professional goals.

Economics Research Topics List

Economics is a vast field that encompasses a wide range of topics and issues. If you're looking for inspiration for your next research paper, consider exploring one of these top research paper topics in economics:

• What is the impact of trade policies on international trade patterns?
• How does income inequality affect economic growth?
• What role does entrepreneurship play in economic development?
• How do government regulations affect market efficiency?
• What are the economic implications of climate change and environmental policy?
• How do automation and artificial intelligence affect the labor market?
• What are the effects of healthcare policies on the economy and society?
• How does education influence economic outcomes?
• What are some economic aspects of taxation and fiscal policy?
• How does globalization impact domestic economies and societies?

Interesting Research Topics in Economics

Are you searching for interesting topics in economics? Look no further than these cptivting economic paper topics ideas.

• How do government policies impact income mobility?
• What role do financial institutions play in economic growth?
• Economics of housing and homelessness.
• How do immigration policies shape the labor market?
• Impact of gender inequality on economic growth.
• Sustainable development and renewable energy.
• What are some effects of globalization on income distribution?
• How do minimum wage policies impact employment and poverty?
• Economics of crime and punishment.
• How does corruption relate to economic growth?
• Effects of social welfare policies on income inequality.
• Healthcare markets and insurance systems.
• How does technology influence income distribution and employment?
• Education financing and student loan debt.
• How do economic sanctions affect international trade and diplomacy?

Good Topics for Economic Research Papers

Economics research topics are diverse and can be approached from various angles. Below are some great economic topics to write about:

• What are some effects of social media on consumer behavior and advertising?
• What is the relationship between corporate social responsibility and profitability?
• Sharing economy and its impact on traditional industries.
• How does climate change affect the tourism industry economically?
• Economics of healthcare systems and policies in developing countries.
• How does population aging influence labor markets and retirement policies?
• How does artificial intelligence impact business and employment?
• What factors are involved in energy transition and the shift to renewable energy?
• Income inequality and political polarization.
• How do digital streaming services and the music industry intersect economically?
• How does cultural diversity contribute to growth and innovation?
• Effects of trade agreements on income distribution.
• Cryptocurrency and blockchain technology.
• How does globalization impact labor standards and working conditions?
• Natural disasters and economic growth.

Best Economics Research Topics

Want to take your project to the next level? Don’t skip these hot economic research questions. They suit any academic level and can be supported by credible evidence.

• Big data and its role in economic forecasting.
• How does public debt impact economic growth?
• The economics of international migration.
• What is the impact of technological innovation on income inequality?
• The role of infrastructure investment in fostering economic growth.
• The economics of the gig economy and freelance work.
• How does foreign aid affect economic development?
• The economics of natural resource management and sustainability.
• What is the impact of urbanization on economic growth and development?
• The economics of the entertainment industry and streaming services.
• How do exchange rate fluctuations influence trade and investment?
• The economics of food production and distribution systems.
• How do government regulations affect small businesses economically?
• The study of behavioral finance and decision-making in economics.
• What is the impact of monetary policy on financial markets and inflation?

Unique Economics Research Topics

Economics is a constantly evolving field that offers endless possibilities for research and analysis. That’s why choosing unique economic research ideas shouldn’t be a big deal. Below we added a list of authentic topics you most likely won’t be able to find anywhere else.

• How does mobile banking contribute to financial inclusion in emerging economies?
• How do natural disasters affect supply chains?
• What are some effects of gender bias in venture capital funding decisions?
• How does population density influence the demand for public transportation in urban areas?
• Virtual currencies and their potential as an alternative to traditional currencies.
• How do government subsidies influence the adoption of renewable energy?
• How do industrial policies shape innovation and contribute to economic growth?
• Alternative meat and its potential impact on the food industry.
• What is the relationship between public transit availability and property values in urban areas?
• How does corruption impact economic growth and development?
• Renewable energy storage systems and their impact on grid stability.
• What are some effects of automation on job displacement and income inequality?
• Blockchain technology in the banking industry and financial transactions.
• International trade in cultural goods and services.
• How does income inequality relate to health outcomes from an economic standpoint?

Popular Economics Topics for Research Paper

Do you want to focus on current and pressing issues? Consider these trending topics for economic research papers.

• The impact of COVID-19 on the global economy.
• What are economic implications of healthcare reform?
• How does globalization affect labor markets economically?
• Climate change and the role of carbon pricing.
• Effects of income inequality on social mobility.
• How does automation impact employment and wages in the workforce?
• The economics of education and the burden of student loan debt.
• How do government regulations influence business and innovation economically?
• Income taxation and progressive taxation.
• Impact of immigration on labor markets.
• Behavioral economics and the use of nudges in decision-making.
• How do trade policies influence international relations and diplomacy?
• Mergers and acquisitions in the business world.
• How do minimum wage policies affect low-wage workers economically?
• Urbanization and transportation planning.

Economics Research Paper Topics for Students

As a student, picking decent economic topics for research papers can be a challenging task. It's important to focus on relevant and interesting aspects. Below you will find some economic research paper topics specifically geared toward students of all levels.

Economics Research Topics for College Students

College students majoring in economics have a range of choices when it comes to research topics. Below are some inspiring economic paper topics you can use as inspiration for your project in college:

• Effects of gig economy on labor markets.
• Economic growth and environmental sustainability.
• Impact of sharing economy on traditional industries.
• Housing affordability and homelessness.
• How does trade liberalization affect domestic industries and consumers?
• How does public policy influence small business growth?
• Food waste and its impact on sustainability.
• Income inequality and access to education.
• Impact of automation on the future of work.
• Online advertising and consumer behavior.
• How does fiscal policy influence income distribution and poverty reduction?
• How does tax reform impact business investment?
• Economics of international tourism and its impact on local economies.
• Effects of financial regulation on consumer behavior and investor confidence.
• Demographic shifts and labor force participation.

Economics Research Topics for Undergraduates

Are you an undergraduate student looking for topics related to economics? Here are some amazing ideas you can pick from:

• Financial implications of space exploration and commercial space travel.
• Role of urban farming in city development for sustainability.
• Impact of genetic engineering and biotechnology on the agricultural sector.
• Financial consequences of digital privacy.
• Implications of mass surveillance on consumer spending patterns.
• How do remittances influence growth in developing countries?
• Fiscal consequences of cybercrime and cybersecurity breaches.
• Role of microfinance in alleviating poverty.
• Potential financial implications of quantum computing.
• Water scarcity and its worldwide financial implications.
• Monetary consequences of epidemics, pandemics, and public health crises.
• Transformation of markets by virtual and augmented reality.
• Effect of corporate governance on shareholder value.
• Financial aspects of aging societies and pension reform.
• Role of intellectual property rights in promoting innovation and growth.

Economics Research Topics for Grad Students

Graduate students in economics are expected to delve deeper into economic theories, models, and concepts. They are also required to contribute new insights to the field. We suggest that you choose these economics topics for research to earn a high grade:

• How does drug legalization influence national economies?
• Impact of universal basic income on poverty levels and unemployment rates.
• Financial implications of political instability and conflict.
• Impact of cultural heritage sites on local and national finances.
• Financial repercussions of biodiversity loss and species extinction.
• Role of venture capital in fostering startups and growth.
• Disaster risk management and its relevance to financial resilience.
• Potential fiscal impacts of deep-sea mining.
• Financial consequences of single-use plastics and transition to a circular economy.
• Business aspects of the digital gaming industry and eSports.
• Impact of the maker movement and DIY culture on traditional manufacturing.
• How can nanotechnology shape future market economies?
• Impact of drone technology on supply chain operations.
• Financial aspects of mental health in the workplace.
• Role of public-private partnerships in fostering growth and infrastructure development.

Research Topics in Economics by Subject

Economics paper topics ideas will also depend on your area of expertise. This block will offer topics by subject, so that you can choose a theme that fits your special needs. Whether you are interested in exploring the economics of renewable energy or the effects of globalization on income distribution,you will surely spot an idea or two right below.

World Economics Research Paper Topics

The global economy is a complex and interconnected system, and there are many world economics research paper topics that can shed light on global aspects. Between them are these ideas:

• Evolving landscape of international trade in the post-COVID era.
• Role of Special Economic Zones in boosting global competitiveness.
• Impact of machine learning and artificial intelligence on global financial markets.
• How do social impact bonds contribute to global development goals?
• Cybersecurity risks in global financial institutions: Are we prepared?
• Influence of social entrepreneurship on worldwide poverty reduction.
• Green bonds and their role in global sustainable finance.
• Economic prospects of the African Continental Free Trade Area.
• Role of global remittance flows in socioeconomic development.
• Impact of climate change on global supply chains: What can we do?
• Global consequences of a cashless society: Are we ready?
• How does geopolitics affect global energy markets?
• Repercussions of cryptocurrency adoption on global financial stability.
• Economies of scale in global manufacturing: A new era?
• Role of international development assistance in achieving Sustainable Development Goals.

>> More ideas: Politics Research Topics

Microeconomics Research Paper Topics

Microeconomics studies the behavior of individuals and firms in making decisions regarding the allocation of resources. If you need microeconomics topics for research paper, we collected great ideas below:

• How do consumer ethics shape purchasing decisions?
• What influences price elasticity of demand in luxury goods markets?
• How does the gig economy affect individual financial stability?
• What are the key economic factors determining college major choices?
• How do credit scores influence personal finance management?
• What impacts have peer-to-peer lending platforms had on traditional banking?
• What drives consumer decisions between online and brick-and-mortar shopping?
• How do economic considerations play into personal retirement planning?
• What market dynamics and pricing strategies dominate the smartphone industry?
• How does behavioral economics impact personal savings habits?
• How significantly does brand loyalty influence consumer spending?
• What strategies help businesses survive during economic downturns?
• How does corporate social responsibility influence consumer choice?
• What role does digital marketing play in shaping consumer behavior?
• What are some economic impacts of identity theft on individuals and businesses?

Macroeconomics Research Paper Topics

Unlike microeconomics, macroeconomics explores the behavior and performance of entire economies. Below are some awesome macroeconomics research paper topics:

• Exploring connections between inflation and unemployment.
• Impact of quantitative easing on long-term economic growth.
• How does fiscal deficit affect a country's economic stability?
• The role of central banks in managing economic downturns.
• Effects of government debt on interest rates and investment.
• What factors contribute to business cycles and economic fluctuations?
• Examination of macroeconomic factors influencing foreign direct investment.
• How do monetary policies impact inflation and unemployment rates?
• Role of technology advancements in macroeconomic productivity.
• Impact of demographic changes on long-term economic growth.
• Can green investment stimulate economic recovery?
• What role do exchange rates play in a country's trade balance?
• Comparative analysis of economic growth models.
• Macroeconomic challenges of transitioning to a low-carbon economy.
• How does income inequality affect economic growth at a macro level?

Economics Research Paper Topics on International Trade

International trade is a vital part of the global economy and has a significant impact on development, and international relations. Here are unique topics for an economic research paper focusing on international trade:

• Impact of Brexit on international trade relations.
• How do currency fluctuations affect international trade?
• Economic consequences of trade wars: A case study of U.S.-China relations.
• Role of World Trade Organization in shaping international trade norms.
• How does international trade contribute to economic growth?
• Evaluation of free trade agreements and their economic implications.
• Role of emerging markets in shaping the future of international trade.
• How do trade barriers influence domestic industries?
• Fair trade vs. free trade: An economic analysis.
• Global supply chain disruptions: Lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Effects of international trade on income distribution within countries.
• Economic impact of sanctions on international trade.
• How do intellectual property rights issues affect international trade?
• Role of e-commerce in transforming international trade.
• What are the economic consequences of offshore outsourcing on international trade?

Financial Economics Research Topics

Financial economics is a subfield of economics that focuses on financial markets, institutions, and instruments. Here are outstanding financial economic topics for a paper:

• Role of FinTech in shaping the future of banking.
• Analysis of risk management strategies in investment banking.
• How do hedge funds contribute to financial market stability?
• Impact of regulatory changes on financial market competitiveness.
• How does financial literacy influence individual investment decisions?
• Examination of financial derivatives and their role in financial risk management.
• Role of central banks in maintaining financial stability.
• Analysis of market efficiency in cryptocurrency markets.
• How do financial crises affect economies in the long term?
• Financial inclusion and the role of mobile banking.
• Impact of corporate governance on financial performance.
• Examination of the link between financial markets and economic growth.
• High-frequency trading: Impact on financial market stability.
• Effect of algorithmic trading on financial market efficiency.
• How do interest rate changes impact financial markets.

Development Economics Research Topics

Development economics studies the economic and social development of low-income countries. With this branch in mind, we prepared a list of development economic research paper topics ideas:

•  Role of microfinance in economic empowerment in developing countries.
• How do infrastructure projects affect economic development?
• How do cultural factors shape economic progress in developing countries?
• Impact of corruption on resource allocation in developing nations.
• Impact of foreign aid on economic growth in recipient countries.
• Evaluation of agricultural policies on rural development.
• How do commodity price fluctuations affect developing economies?
• Implications of population growth on resource management in emerging economies.
• How does political stability influence economic growth in developing countries?
• Impact of public health initiatives on economic development.
• Analysis of sustainable development strategies in emerging economies.
• How do migration patterns affect economic development?
• How does technological adoption improve productivity in developing economies?
• Role of social entrepreneurship in sustainable economic development.
• How does tourism influence the economic development of low-income countries?

Behavioral Economics Research Paper Topics

Behavioral economics combines insights from psychology and economics to understand how people make financial decisions. Below you can find behavioral economics research topics:

• Impact of cognitive biases on economic decision making.
• Role of emotions in consumer purchasing behavior.
• How does social influence shape spending habits?
• What are the economic implications of procrastination?
• Nudging for good: Can behavioral economics promote healthier lifestyles?
• How does framing influence consumers' perception of price and value?
• Role of incentives in shaping individual and collective behavior.
• Examination of loss aversion in investment decisions.
• Analysis of irrational behaviors in financial markets.
• Behavioral economics in policy design: What works and why?
• How does choice overload affect consumer decision making?
• The effect of anchoring bias in pricing strategies.
• Role of behavioral economics in promoting sustainable consumption.
• How does scarcity mindset affect economic decisions?
• Behavioral economics and personal finance: How to avoid common pitfalls?

>> Read more: Psychology Topics to Research

Environmental Economics Research Topics

Environmental economics investigates the interaction between economic systems and the natural environment. This subfield also offers multiple perspectives for exploration. Here are some examples of project topics on economics with emphasis on environment:

• Examining the economic impacts of biodiversity loss.
• Impact of environmental policies on manufacturing industries.
• Role of renewable energy investments in economic growth.
• Does a carbon tax impact economic competitiveness?
• Economic analysis of water resource management.
• How do natural disasters affect economic performance?
• The economic value of ecosystem services.
• Cost-effectiveness of different strategies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
• Role of environmental economics in climate change mitigation.
• How does waste management contribute to sustainable economic growth?
• The effects of air pollution on economic productivity.
• What is the economic impact of deforestation?
• Evaluation of economic tools for managing plastic waste.
• Economics of transitioning to a circular economy.
• How does sustainable agriculture contribute to economic development?

>> View more: Environmental Research Topics

Health Economics Research Topics

Health economics examines how health care practices affect the health outcomes of individuals and whole populations.  Take a glance at these health economics research paper topics:

• Economic impact of pandemics on healthcare systems.
• Role of telemedicine in healthcare cost reduction.
• How do health insurance policies influence medical spending?
• Economic analysis of mental health issues and treatment access.
• The cost-effectiveness of preventative healthcare measures.
• Evaluating the economic burden of chronic diseases.
• Economic implications of antibiotic resistance.
• How does socioeconomic status influence health outcomes?
• Impact of aging populations on healthcare costs.
• Evaluation of the economic benefits of vaccination programs.
• The effect of medical technology advancements on healthcare costs.
• Role of behavioral economics in health promotion and disease prevention.
• How does health literacy influence healthcare utilization and costs?
• Economic analysis of substance abuse treatment.
• Evaluating the economic impacts of health policy reforms.

>> Read more: Public Health Topics for Research

Extra Research Topics for Economics

Sometimes, finding the right idea can be a challenging task. However, there are numerous resources available to help you find unique angles. Also, don't be afraid to ask your professors or research paper writer team for suggestions on the selection process. But if you don’t have enough time, we gathered some supplementary economics research topics.

Economics Essay Topics

An economics essay can cover a broad range of topics, from macroeconomic issues such as international trade and monetary policy to microeconomic aspects such as consumer behavior and market structure.

• Can an increase in minimum wage curb poverty?
• What are the potential economic effects of Brexit?
• Impact of income inequality on societal cohesion.
• How does the rise of remote work influence economic structures?
• Examination of the economic benefits of public libraries.
• Role of the informal economy in urban development.
• Economic implications of increasing life expectancy.
• How does piracy impact the music and film industry economically?
• Impact of subsidies on agricultural economies.
• Exploration of the economic factors influencing the housing market.
• Analysis of the economic costs of obesity.
• Role of child labor in global supply chains.
• Examination of the economic implications of internet censorship.
• Impact of single-use plastics on local and global economies.
• Economic effects of urban green spaces.

Economics Topics for a Short Project

If you need to complete a short assignment, you may want to consider project topics in economics that can be analyzed within a limited timeframe. Don’t worry. We’ve added some simple ideas as well:

• Examining the economic impacts of online privacy breaches.
• Role of advertising in shaping consumer behavior.
• Analysis of the economic effects of natural disasters.
• Economic implications of self-driving cars.
• Role of cooperatives in the economy.
• Impact of e-waste on developing economies.
• The role of micro-credit in alleviating poverty.
• Examining the economic impacts of space exploration.
• How do online reviews influence consumer purchasing decisions?
• Economics of disaster recovery: Case studies.
• Examination of the economic implications of cybercrime.
• Impact of nutritional labeling on consumer behavior and market outcomes.
• Economic analysis of the craft beer industry.
• Examining the economic effects of animal agriculture.
• How do tax incentives influence corporate behavior and economic outcomes?

Economics Research Questions

Formulating a research question is a crucial step in conducting an economics research project. A good research question should be specific, measurable, and relevant to the topic under study. Here are some economics research questions to consider:

• How does widespread adoption of digital currencies impact traditional banking?
• To what extent do economic factors contribute to obesity rates?
• What are the consequences of large-scale solar power adoption?
• How do parental leave policies shape labor markets?
• What impacts do large-scale data breaches have on corporations?
• Does green urban planning significantly contribute to city development?
• How much does mental health contribute to workplace productivity?
• What effects do fair trade agreements have on farmers in low-income countries?
• How valuable are clean oceans for global trade?
• How does political stability of a country influence foreign investments?
• What are the consequences of patent wars in the tech industry?
• How does the rise of freelancing shape labor laws?
• What economic implications does the rise of eSports have?
• How does nutrition education impact economic health?
• What are some benefits and drawbacks of commercial space tourism?

Economics Research Topics for Exams

If you're preparing for an exam, it's important to have a good understanding of the concepts and theories that you'll be tested on. To help you prepare, we offer these economics research topics for exams to study:

• Implications of autonomous vehicles on transportation.
• Role of trade unions in contemporary job markets.
• Analysis of gender disparities in retirement savings.
• Influence of corporate social responsibility on brand reputation.
• How do plant-based diets influence the global meat industry.
• Evaluating efficiency of ride-sharing platforms.
• Role of drones in shaping future commercial landscapes.
• How public health initiatives influence workplace productivity.
• Exploring the potential economic impact of asteroid mining.
• How does fashion industry affect global economy and environmental sustainability?
• Impact of video-on-demand services on traditional film industries.
• Role of social entrepreneurship in poverty alleviation.
• Role of energy-efficient appliances in electricity markets.
• Influence of shifting demographics on global trends.
• How does celebrity endorsement influence consumer buying behavior?

Economics Research Paper Topics for Experts

For those who are already experts in the field of economics, finding 100% original economics research topics can be an uphill struggle. But not with ideas attached below:

• How does quantum computing pose an economic challenge to cybersecurity firms?
• How do gene editing technologies affect agricultural markets?
• In what ways does space commercialization affect global economies?
• How does increased lifespan influence retirement and pension systems?
• Financial viability of carbon capture and storage.
• Influence of ethical consumerism on global supply chains.
• How have nanotechnologies impacted manufacturing sectors?
• Impact of rising sea levels on coastal economies.
• Role of predictive analytics in preventing financial fraud.
• Examining the economic consequences of major oil spills.
• How does deep face technology pose an economic challenge to film industries?
• Economic impacts of large-scale reforestation.
• Implications of extensive antibiotic resistance.
• Impacts of geopolitical tensions on global oil prices.
• Universal basic income as a solution for automation-induced job loss.

Bottom Line on Economics Papers Topics

Hopefully, by now you have found a perfect economics research paper topic. Make sure you can find enough evidence to back up your points. But if you have any difficulties with the research or writing process, consider to buy coursework or any other project from academic experts.

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The Study Blog : Research topics

50+ Economics research Topics and Topic Ideas for dissertation

The ultimate goal of economic science is to improve the living conditions of people in everyday lives. Economists study how to utilize the available scarce resources to maximize value and thus profits. The concerns of economics today are largely focused on issues such as opportunity cost, consumption and production, borrowing, saving, investments, occupations and employment, trades markets, pricing and human behavior concerning making economic decisions.

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Given that economics covers a lot of issues in society today coupled with the multitude of research studies within the existing literature, many economics students find it difficult to find the most suitable economic research topic for their undergraduate project, master’s thesis, and dissertations. Technological advancement has also increased the pace of transformation and globalization creating new areas in economics that are worth research. Our economics experts have curated a list of research paper topics in economics that you can use to get the perfect research paper topic.

Micro-Economics Research Topics

Microeconomics deals with the economic behavior of individual isolated units of the economy like an individual, a household, a company, and industry. Micro-economists study factors that influence economic choices, markets and their key elements such as demand and supply and analyze markets and determine the prices for goods and services that best allocate the available limited resources. Some of the best research topics in microeconomics that you can use for your thesis or dissertation include:

1. The effect of income changes on consumer choices

2. The effect of labor force participation on the economy and budget – A comparison

3. The impact of marital status on the labor force composition: A case of [your country] economy

4. The difference in the consumption attitude in [your country] over the last decade – Critical analysis of consumer behavior trends

5. The relationship between salary levels and ‘economic convergence’ in [your country]?

6. Analyzing salary inequalities in [your country] and the forces behind such inequalities.

7. The evolution of consumption in [your country] over the last 10 years: Trends and consumer behavior.

8. Dynamics of the Gini index as a reflection of the problem of inequality in income 

9. Cashless economy: The impact of demonetization on small and medium businesses

10 Privatization of Public Enterprises and its implications on economic policy and development

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Macroeconomics Research Topics

1. The relationship between economic growth and unemployment in [your country]

2. Global recession and factors that contribute to it.

3. Impact of government expenditure on economic growth in [country]

4. The impact of company income tax revenue on the developing economies- A comparative analysis of Kenya, India, and Nigeria

5. The relationship between common stock prices and inflation in [your country]

6. The relationship between inflation and government spending in [your country] economy.

7. The effect of currency devaluation on small and medium firms- A case study of selected multinationals in [your country]

8. The relationship between internet connectivity and productivity in the workplace 

9. The evolution of the stock market in [your country]: Causes and consequences

10 Unemployment and regional mobility of labor in [your country]

11 A comparison of the United States unemployment to the rest of the world

Research Topics on International Trade

1. The relationship between economic growth and international trade

2. To what extent does a currency union affect trade: A case of the United States

3. What are the gains and losses of international trade for developing countries?

4. Foreign direct investment in the United States: Determinants and impact

5. The effects of the banana crisis on the Jamaican and British economies

6. The impact of Brexit on small and middle businesses in the UK

7. The relationship between foreign direct investment and wages- A comparative analysis of USA and China

8. The roles of exchange rate and exchange rate regime in the US export

9. The importance of international trade in developing countries

10 To what extent are the gains of less developed countries from tradeliberalization exaggerated?

Environmental economics research paper topics

Economic activities such as production have a significant impact on the environment such as pollution and depletion of natural resources. Environmental economics studies these impacts and other environmental issues. Below are some of the best research paper topics in environmental economics.

1. An economic examination of waste disposal programs in the United States

2. Man-made environmental disasters: who bears the economic liability?

3. The economics of land- a comparative analysis of land sharing and land sparing in the United States

4. The impact of waste disposal programs to America’s Environmental Policy: An economic evaluation

5. Water management and conservation policies in the United States and the UK- a comparative analysis

6. The economic implications of climate policy changes because of different climate change assessment mechanisms

7. Investigating the cost of organizational environmental analysis in the United States

8. What are the determinants of climate policy formulation in the United States? An economic scrutiny

9. The economic perspectives of distribution of natural resources across boundaries

10 The impact of technological innovation for clean and green products on the environment

11 The impact of work-life balance on social eco-systems: perspectives from the United States

12 The relationship between financial subsidies and generation of eco-friendly products

Research Paper Topics on Behavioral Economics

Behavioral economics examines the psychology behind economic activities and economic decision making. It examines the limitation of the assumption that individuals are perfectly normal. Good behavioral economics topics cover subjects such as bounded rationality, irrational exuberance, and choice architecture. 

1. Inducing choice paralysis: how retailers bury customers in an avalanche of options

2. The behavioral economics of discounting- A case study of amazon

3. Pricing and the decoy effect; how corporations ‘nudge’ consumers to spend more

4. Big data and implications for behavioral economics

5. A study of how the United States market benefitted from behavioral economics theory

6. How has behavioral economics influenced the real-world context? A case of online purchase behavior

7. Weight management through behavioral economics: use of incentives

8. What motivates consumers? A behavioral economics perspective

9. Using behavioral economics to help in reducing substance abuse

10 Addressing lifestyle management for diabetes through behavioral analysis- insights from the US healthcare sector

You may also like: The little secret why your friends are earning better grades

Development Economics research paper topics

1. The impact of multinational commodity trading through the development economic perspective

2. The impact of globalization on income distribution in emerging economies

3. Investigating the relationship between migration and development economics

4. Budgeting and decision making by low-income earners in emerging economics

5. Investigating the relationship between family planning, labor force, and income fluctuations

6. The impact of natural disasters on development in emerging economies

7. The impact of population growth on development economics- review of India

8. The determinants of high performing institutions in emerging economies

9. Comparative economic patterns of villages across Virginia

10 Aid and economic growth of developing economies- a review

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10 Popular Posts on Economic Topics in 2021

What did people most want to know about the economy in 2021?

Inflation and COVID-19’s effects on the economy were top of mind, judging by the popularity of posts on those topics in our On the Economy blog, which offers frequent commentary, analysis and data from our economists and other St. Louis Fed experts. But examinations of longer-run trends, such as employment growth over 20 years, also attracted attention.

For readers of our Open Vault blog, which explains everyday economics and the Fed, the nuts and bolts of topical subjects like central bank digital currency and Fed “tapering” struck a chord, as did a post about the economic concept of externalities, explained with canine and pandemic examples. 

Here’s a look at a few of the posts that were among the favorites published from January through Nov. 30.

Inflation Trends

How covid-19 may be affecting inflation.

The changing of U.S. consumer spending patterns during the pandemic may have affected the measurement of inflation, according to an On the Economy post published in February. The Bureau of Labor Statistics gathers information about prices in the U.S., weights the prices and aggregates them for the consumer price index, or CPI. Inflation is measured as the CPI’s rate of growth over a certain period.

But what happens if a certain category of goods or services becomes a bigger, or smaller, part of consumer spending? Based on spending habits in prior years, the official weights might not be the “true” weights in 2020, when social distancing led to more eating at home and less spending in restaurants.

What Are Risks for Future Inflation?

As U.S. inflation surged in 2021, an October On the Economy post identified some upside and downside risks for future inflation. A follow-up post examined whether higher inflation could “be attributed to a small group of goods and services or whether it is a more generalized event.” Looking at the overall price change over the period of the pandemic, “the role of outliers is greatly diminished, revealing that higher inflation is perhaps a broader phenomenon,” the post said.

Economic and Monetary Policy Explainers

Externalities: it’s what pandemics, pollution and puppies have in common.

Externalities are costs and benefits that impact or spill over to someone other than the producer or the consumer of a good or a service. As a June Open Vault post explained, that applies to everything from pandemics to puppies. In a pandemic, a lack of social distancing by one person creates an externality that is negative: a higher risk of infection for everyone. Puppies that only bark at strangers, meanwhile, could provide a positive externality for neighbors as a warning system.

A June Open Vault blog post highlighted the Economic Lowdown series video “Externalities.” What makes pollution a negative externality is explained in this clip.

Here’s What the Fed Means by Tapering

As anticipation built this fall for a Federal Open Market Committee decision to “taper,” so did curiosity about what tapering is. An Open Vault post answered that question: The Fed can turn to large-scale asset purchases when economic conditions warrant, and tapering means reducing the pace of those purchases. The post, published a week after the Nov. 3 announcement of the FOMC’s decision to start tapering, also explained how tapering works.

What Is the Federal Open Market Committee?

Readers curious about what tapering is could have learned earlier in the year about the committee that makes that and other monetary policy decisions. As a February Open Vault post explained, the FOMC is the main monetary policymaking body of the Federal Reserve and is comprised of leaders from around the Federal Reserve System.

People and Places

Older workers accounted for all net employment growth in past 20 years.

Before there was the “Great Resignation,” there was an employment increase: A February On the Economy post said that a rise in employment of people age 60 and older was responsible for U.S. employment growth of 11.8 million from December 2000 to December 2020. (See chart.) Among those workers, the increase in employment is attributed to the group’s population growth and increased employment-to-population ratio.

Cumulative Net Change in the Number of Employed People since December 2000

House Prices Surpass Housing-Bubble Peak on One Key Measure of Value

The steady increase of a house price-to-rent ratio “would imply increasing overvaluation” of houses, a May On the Economy post said. That was the case in early 2021 (using data available through March), when an index measuring the ratio of house prices to rent in the U.S. had risen rapidly over the course of a year and reached its highest level since at least 1975.

Sign up now for the free symposium, which has the theme, “Leading the Way in Challenging Times.” The event will run 6 to 8 p.m. CT on Feb. 23-24. Participants will hear insights from leading economists.

Inspiring Young Women to Pursue Economics

A January Open Vault post previewed a February 2021 event that is “designed to inspire young women and underrepresented minorities who may be interested in econ—and to encourage those pursuing a degree to persist.” The next Women in Economics Symposium is set for Feb. 23-24, 2022.

Money and Finance

Wealth gaps between white, black and hispanic families in 2019.

Across education, family structure and generations, gaps persist between the wealth of white families and that of Black and Hispanic families, the authors of a January On the Economy post found.

For instance, they wrote: “More education was associated with more wealth for all the racial and ethnic groups considered. However, wide gaps remain at every education level, with Black and Hispanic families having less median family wealth than white families with the same education.”

And Black and Hispanic families are less likely than white families to have financial and other assets like homes and businesses, and when they do, those assets were more likely to have lower values.

Navigating the ABCs of CBDCs—Central Bank Digital Currencies

“You’ve likely heard of Bitcoin, Ethereum, or even Dogecoin, but you may not have heard of ‘Fedcoin,’ an informal name some have used for the idea of a digital currency tied to a central bank, namely the Federal Reserve,” a June Open Vault post said. The post highlighted short videos in which a St. Louis Fed economist answered questions on central bank digital currencies, including about possible effects on privacy and bank lending.

Heather Hennerich is a senior editor with the St. Louis Fed External Engagement and Corporate Communications Division.

Related Topics

This blog explains everyday economics, consumer topics and the Fed. It also spotlights the people and programs that make the St. Louis Fed central to America’s economy. Views expressed are not necessarily those of the St. Louis Fed or Federal Reserve System.

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130 Excellent Economics Research Topics To Consider

Table of Contents

Are you an economics student searching for good topics for your research paper? If yes, then keep on reading this blog. To make the topic selection process easier for you, here we have suggested a list of the best economics research topics on various areas associated with the subject. In addition to that, we have also presented a brief overview of economics research paper topic selection and writing.

Quickly explore the entire list and choose any ideal topic for composing your economics thesis or dissertation.

Economics Research Paper Topic Selection and Writing

Have your professor asked you to submit an economics research paper? If yes, then topic selection is the first step you should do. In case, your supervisors had not suggested any research ideas, make sure to choose a unique economics research topic that you are interested in. The topic you choose should be understandable for you and your readers, and it should also have a wide research scope with the necessary information for crafting a comprehensive research paper or essay.

After you have selected a research topic for your economics assignment, sketch an outline with the research ideas that you have gathered. Then, with the help of the essay outline you have prepared, draft the research paper in a well-structured manner by including the essential elements such as the introduction, body, and conclusion.

The introduction paragraph of your research paper should have a catchy opening sentence, brief background information on the topic, and a strong thesis statement addressing the purpose of your research paper. After the introduction, in the body paragraphs, you should include innovative topic sentences and explain your arguments with supporting evidence in a way to persuade your reader. Then, you should finally close your research paper with an engaging conclusion that contains a brief summary of the main points.

List of the Best Economics Research Paper Topics

You may think that it is easy to choose a research topic for your economics research paper. But actually, it is not. As economics is a complex and broad subject, choosing a perfect research topic from it is a daunting task.

If you are asked to write an economics research paper or essay, then you can prefer to choose a topic from economics research areas such as macroeconomics, microeconomics, behavioral economics, agricultural economics, development economics, financial economics, and so on.

Here, we have sorted different categories of economics topics and have recommended a list of excellent economics research topic ideas for you to consider. Go through the entire list and pick a topic that is ideal for writing academic papers as per your instructor’s requirements.

Agricultural Economics Research Topics

• Farmer’s contribution to agricultural social capital.
• Agricultural economics and agribusiness.
• An analysis of economic efficiency in agriculture.
• Agricultural and resource economics.
• Agricultural economics and environmental considerations of biofuels.
• Analysis of food security and poverty status among households in Ehime Mbano
• Role of bank loans and credit facility in financing Nigerian agriculture sector: a case study of Nigeria agricultural cooperative and rural development bank
• Evaluation of the impact of micro-finance banks on the South African agriculture sector
• How poultry farming is becoming a veritable tool for the economic empowerment of South Africa?
• Critical analysis of the problems and prospects of agriculture financing in rural India

Behavioral Economics Research Paper Topics

• What does the economy of trust mean?
• How does the brain change when a person is striking a great deal?
• The impact of economic stability on the social life of a person
• The buying capacity and gender
• How does race relate to economic power?
• Big data and its implications for behavioral economics
• The impact of behavioral finance on investment decisions.
• Cognitive and behavioral theories in economics.
• Behavior implications of wealth and inequality.
• Using behavioral economics to help in reducing substance abuse

Development Economics Research Topics

• The relation between development and incentive for migration.
• The economic consequences of population growth in developing countries.
• The determinants of high-performing institutions in emerging economies
• The impact of globalization on income distribution in emerging economies
• The problems of tax and taxation in connection with economic growth.
• The economic impact of terrorism on developing markets.
• Investigate the relationship between family planning, labor force, and income fluctuations.
• The impact of natural disasters on the economy and political stability of emerging markets.
• Budgeting and decision-making by low-income earners in emerging economics
• The impact of multinational commodity trading through the development of economic perspective.
• Compare and contrast the impact of demand-pull inflation and cost-push inflation on a country’s economy
• Discuss the impact of multinational commodity trading through the perspective of development economics
• Discuss the concepts of mercantilism, linear stages of growth model, economic nationalism, and structural-change theory
• Investigate the relationship between unemployment and fluctuations in national income
• Compare and contrast the economic patterns of villages across Papua New Guinea

Environmental Economics Research Paper Topics

• Explain the energy markets’ economic potential.
• How does global warming affect economic growth?
• How technological advancement leads to economic growth
• Evolution of economic institutions concerning climate change
• Cost-benefit analysis of the regulation of the environment
• The economic perspectives of the distribution of natural resources across boundaries
• The relationship between financial subsidies and the generation of eco-friendly products
• Detailed analysis of the European Union Emission Trading System
• Why it’s important to analyze the economics of clean drinking water
• How wildlife protection affects the economy

Read more: Outstanding Environmental Science Topics for You to Consider

Financial Economics Research Topics

• Risk-taking by mutual funds as a response to incentives.
• Financial economics for infrastructure and fiscal policy.
• Managerial economics and financial accounting as a basis for business
• The analysis of the global financial crisis of 2020
• Stock market overreaction.

Health Economics Research Ideas

• How do chronic diseases affect the workforce and the economy?
• How can public hospitals optimize their revenue collection?
• The economics of the pharmaceutical industry
• How an unhealthy country translates into a poor country
• Is the world’s hunger affected by economics?
• How does perfect competition work in the pharmaceutical world?
• How does an infectious disease outbreak affect the economy?
• Is health insurance important?
• How is the economy affected by a smoking ban?

Research Paper Topics on International Trade

• What are the gains and losses of international trade for developing countries?
• The importance of international trade in developing countries
• The relationship between economic growth and international trade
• The impact of Brexit on small and middle businesses in the UK
• To what extent does a currency union affect trade?
• The roles of exchange rate and exchange rate regime in the US export.
• To what extent are the gains of less developed countries from trade liberalization exaggerated?
• Foreign direct investment in the United States: Determinants and impact
• The relationship between foreign direct investment and wages
• The effects of the banana crisis on the Jamaican and British economies

Macroeconomics Research Topics

• Global recession and factors that contribute to it.
• The relationship between Internet connectivity and productivity in the workplace.
• The relationship between economic growth and unemployment in your country.
• Income Dynamics and demographic economics.
• What should our government do to minimize the risks of future default?
• The connection between politics and economics.
• The world problems through macroeconomic analysis .
• US Market Liquidity and Macroeconomics.
• The structure, history, and activities of the World Bank.
• Economics of education in developing markets.
• Public policies and socio-economic disparities.
• Banks and their role in the economy.
• Problems and possible solutions for Japan macroeconomics.
• State regulation of the economy in foreign countries: main models of regulation.
• The effect of currency devaluation on small and medium firms
• A comparison of the United States unemployment to the rest of the world
• The relationship between common stock prices and inflation in your country.
• Macroeconomics and self-correction of the economy.
• Analysis of Africa’s macroeconomics and its performance.
• The implications of Internet banking on bank profitability.

Read more: Best Macroeconomics Research Topics and Ideas for Students

Microeconomics Research Topics

• Explain how competition influences the price.
• Opportunity costs explained from a microeconomics perspective
• Inflation sources and consequences explained
• The impact of demonetization on small and medium businesses
• The connection between the minimum wage and market equilibrium.
• Perfect competition in microeconomics
• Theories in microeconomics
• The effect of labor force participation on the economy and budget
• Economic inequality as a result of globalization.
• Explain the balance between supply and demand in microeconomics
• Dynamics of the Gini index as a reflection of the problem of inequality in income
• Privatization of Public Enterprises and its implications on economic policy and development
• How does the stock market work?
• The impact of game theory on economic development.
• The changes in oil prices: causes and solutions.
• Marketing uses in microeconomics.
• The economic explanation of political dishonesty.
• How company mergers and dissolutions impact the economy
• The role of tax collection agencies in microeconomics
• Different microeconomic models and how they face the effect of industry conditions

A Few More Microeconomics Research Ideas

• How exactly does Uber fit into the economy of trust?
• How does a person’s brain alter when they hit a big deal?
• missing practical human insights from big data and how this affects the economy.
• explaining how supply and demand are balanced in microeconomics
• Changes in economic institutions with regard to climate change
• Effects of greenhouses on economic growth
• Effects of climate change on economic growth
• Analysis of the European Union Emission Trading System in great detail
• Is resource management for waste scarce? A microeconomics explanation of opportunity costs
• Effects of wildlife protection on the economy

Interesting Economics Research Topics

• What role does entrepreneurship play in economic development?
• How do automation and artificial intelligence affect the labor market?
• Discuss the Economics of healthcare systems and policies in developing countries.
• Explain the effects of trade agreements on income distribution.
• How does foreign aid affect economic development?
• Explain the impact of monetary policy on financial markets and inflation.
• Discuss the effects of income inequality on social mobility.
• How does tax reform impact business investment?
• Explain the role of microfinance in alleviating poverty.
• How does behavioral economics impact personal savings habits?

Final Words

From the list of economics research topics recommended in this blog, choose any topic of your choice and craft a top-quality research paper or essay. It is not necessary that you need to use the suggested topic as it is, you can also modify the research topic and write your academic paper. In case, you are unsure how to select the right topic and write a persuasive economics research paper, get in touch with us immediately.

We have a team of professional writers who are experts in the field of economics to assist you in drafting a plagiarism-free economics research paper on the best topics as per your requirements on time. Moreover, by taking our economics assignment help service online, you can also submit flawless and well-structured research papers deserving of an A+ grade.

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134 Economics Thesis Topics: Ideas for Outstanding Writing

Writing a thesis is not an easy task. For most of the students, it can be even intimidating, especially when you do not know where to start your research.

Here, we have provided an economics thesis topics list. After all, everyone knows that choosing the right idea is crucial when writing an academic paper. In economics, it can combine history, math, social studies, politics, and numerous other subjects. You should also have solid foundations and a sound factual basis for a thesis. Without these elements, you won’t be able to master your research paper.

The issue is:

It is not always clear what could be seen as an excellent economics thesis topic. Our experts can assist you with this challenge. This list contains some outstanding examples to get you started.

• ⭐ Thesis in Economics
• 🔥 Supreme Thesis Topics
• 👍 Bachelor’s Thesis
• 😲 Master’s Thesis

📊 Microeconomics

📈 macroeconomics.

• 🤔 Developmental
• 👨‍💼 Behavioral
• 💼 Financial
• 🌱 Agricultural
• 🤝‍ Sociology
• 📚 Ph.D. Topics
• 📝 How to Pick a Topic

⭐ What Does a Thesis in Economics Look Like?

A good thesis in economics is a blend between an empirical paper and a theoretical one. One of the essential steps in choosing a topic in economics is to decide which one you will write.

You may write, research, analyze statistical data and other information. Or build and study a specific economic model.

Or why not both!

Here are some questions you can ask when deciding what topic to choose:

• What has already been written on this topic?
• What economic variables will my paper study?
• Where should I look for the data?
• What econometrics techniques should I use?
• What type of model will I study?

The best way to understand what type of research you have to do is to write a thesis proposal. You will most probably be required to submit it anyway. Your thesis supervisor will examine your ideas, methods, list of secondary and primary sources. At some universities, the proposal will be graded.

After you get the initial feedback, you will have a clear idea of what to adjust before writing your thesis. Only then, you’ll be able to start.

🔥 Supreme Economics Thesis Topics List

• Fast fashion in India.
• The UK housing prices.
• Brexit and European trade.
• Behavioral economics.
• Healthcare macroeconomics.
• COVID-19’s economic impact.
• Global gender wage gap.
• Commodity dependence in Africa.
• International trade – developing countries.
• Climate change and business development.

👍 Economics Bachelor’s Thesis Topics

At the U.S. Universities, an undergraduate thesis is very uncommon. However, it depends on the Department Policy.

The biggest challenge with the Bachelor’s Thesis in economics concerns its originality. Even though you are not required to conduct entirely unique research, you have to lack redundant ideas.

You can easily avoid making this mistake by simply choosing one of these topics. Also, consider visiting IvyPanda essays database. It’s a perfect palce to conduct a brainstorming session and come up with fresh ideas for a paper, as well as get tons of inspiration.

• The impact of the oil industry on the economic development of Nigeria. The oil industry is vital for the economic development of Nigeria. In this thesis, students can discuss the notion of the resource curse. Analyze the reasons why general people are not benefiting from the oil industry. Why did it produce very little change in the social and economic growth of the country?
• Sports Marketing and Advertising: the impact it has on the consumers.
• Economic opportunities and challenges of investing in Kenya .
• Economic Development in the Tourism Industry in Africa. Since the early 1990s, tourism significantly contributed to the economic growth of African countries. In this thesis, students can talk about the characteristics of the tourist sector in Africa. Or elaborate on specific countries and how their national development plans look like.
• Globalization and its significance to business worldwide .
• Economic risks connected to investing in Turkey .
• The decline in employment rates as the biggest American economy challenge .
• The economics of alcohol abuse problems. In this thesis, students can develop several essential issues. First, they can examine how poverty is connected to alcohol abuse. Second, they can see the link between alcohol consumption and productivity. To sum up, students can elaborate on the economic costs of alcohol abuse.
• Causes and solutions for unemployment in Great Britain.
• Parallel perspective on Global Economic Order: China and America. This thesis can bring a comparative analysis of the economies to a new level. China and The US are the world’s two largest economies. These two countries have a significant impact on the global economic order. So, looking at the set of institutions, policies, rules can be constructive.
• The new international economic order after COVID-19
• Financial stability of the banking sector in China.
• New Electronic Payment Services in Russia.
• The influence of culture on different entrepreneurial behaviors.
• The impact of natural cultural practices on entrepreneurial activity.
• The relationships between national culture and individual behavior.
• The main reasons for salary inequalities in different parts of the U.S.

😲 Economics Master’s Thesis Topics

Student life can be fascinating, but it comes with its challenges. One of which is selecting your Master’s thesis topic.

Here is a list of topics for a Master’s thesis in economics. Are you pursuing MPhil in Economics and writing a thesis? Use the following ideas as an inspiration for that. They can also be helpful if you are working on a Master’s thesis in financial economics.

• The impact of visual aid in teaching home economics.
• The effect of income changes in consumer behaviors in America.
• Forces behind socio-economic inequalities in the United States. This thesis can explore three critical factors for socio-economic differences in the United States. In the past 30 years, social disparities increased in the United States. Some of the main reasons are technology, trade, and institutions.
• The relationships between economic growth and international development.
• Technological innovations and their influence on green and environmental products.
• The economics of non-solar renewable energy .

• The economic consequences of terrorism . Terrorism not only takes away lives and destroys property but also widely affects the economy. It creates uncertainty in the market, increases insurance claims, slows down investment projects, and tourism. This thesis can address all of the ways in which terrorism can affect economies.
• Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) implementation in the Oil and Gas Industry in Africa.
• Use of incentives in behavioral economics.
• Economic opportunities and challenges of sustainable communities .
• Economics of nuclear power plants.
• Aid and financial help for emerging markets. This topic is very versatile. Students can look at both the positive and the adverse effects that funding has on the development. There are plenty of excellent examples. Besides, some theories call international help a form of neocolonialism.
• Multinational firms impact on economic growth in America .
• The effect of natural disasters on economic development in Asia.
• The influence of globalization on emerging markets and economic development.

📑 More Economics Thesis Topics: Theme

For some students, it makes more sense to center their search around a certain subject. Sometimes you have an econ area that interests you. You may have an idea about what you want to write, but you did not decide what it will be.

If that’s the case with you, then these economics thesis topics ideas are for you.

• An analysis of the energy market in Russia.
• The impact of game theory on economic development.
• The connection between minimum wage and market equilibrium.
• Gender differences in the labor market in the United States. This topic can shed light on gender differences in the labor market in the United States. In the past years, the overall inequality in labor in the markets decreased. However, there is still a lot of work that can be done.
• Economic reasons that influence the prices of oil .
• Relationship between the Lorenz curve and the Gini coefficient.
• Challenges of small businesses in the market economy.
• The changes in oil prices: causes and solutions . Universal economic principles do not always apply to the sale and purchase of the oil. The same happens with its cost. In the thesis, talk about what affects the prices. What are the solutions that can be implemented?
• The economic analysis of the impact of immigration on the American economy.

• Economic inequality as a result of globalization . Economic inequality becomes even more apparent on the global level. There is a common belief that globalization is the cause of that. Discuss what can be the solutions to these problems. This topic is vital to minimize the gap between the rich and the poor.
• The economic explanation of political dishonesty .
• Effect of Increasing Interest rates costs in Africa .
• The connection between game theory and microeconomics.
• Marketing uses in microeconomics.
• Financial liability in human-made environmental disasters.
• Banks and their role in the economy. Banks are crucial elements of any economy, and this topic covers why. You can explain how banks allow the goods and services to be exchanged. Talk about why banks are so essential for economic growth and stability.
• Inflation in the US and ways to reduce its impact.
• The connection between politics and economics.
• Income Dynamics and demographic economics.
• US Market Liquidity and macroeconomics.
• Macroeconomics and self-correction of the economy .
• The American economy, monetary policy, and monopolies .
• The importance of control in macroeconomics. One of the central topics in macroeconomics is grouped around the issue of control. It is quite reasonable that control over money and resources should become a topic of discussion.
• Analysis of Africa’s macroeconomics and its performance.
• Economics of education in developing markets.
• Problems and possible solutions for Japan macroeconomics .
• Comparative analysis of British macroeconomics concerning the US .
• Public policies and socio-economic disparities.
• The world problems through macroeconomic analysis. Indeed, macroeconomics is very complicated. There are many influences, details, and intricacies in it. However, it allows economists to use this complex set of tools to examine the world’s leading problems today.

• The connection between employment interest and money.

🤔 Development Economics

• Economics of development . This topic is very rich in content. First, explain what it is. Then pay particular attention to domestic and international policies that affect development, income distribution, and economic growth.
• The relation between development and incentive for migration.
• The impact of natural disasters on the economy and political stability of emerging markets.
• The economic consequences of population growth in developing countries.
• The role of industrialization in developing countries . The industrialization has been connected with the development. It promotes capital formation and catalyzes economic growth in emerging markets. In this thesis, you can talk about this correlation.
• Latin American economic development.
• Gender inequality and socio-economic development .
• Problems of tax and taxation in connection with economic growth.
• The economic impact of terrorism on developing markets.
• Religious decline as a key to economic development. Not everyone knows, but a lot of research has been done in the past years on the topic. It argues that decreased religious activity is connected with increased economic growth. This topic is quite controversial. Students who decide to write about it should be extra careful and polite.

👨‍💼 Behavioral Economics

• Risk Preferences in Rural South Africa.
• Behavioral Economics and Finance .
• Applied behavioral economics in marketing strategies. If you want to focus your attention on marketing, this topic is for you. Behavioral economics provides a peculiar lens to look at marketing strategies. It allows marketers to identify common behaviors and adapt their marketing strategies.
• The impact of behavioral finance on investment decisions.
• Behavioral Economics in Child Nutrition Programs in North Texas.
• Guidelines for Behavioral Economics in Healthcare Sector.
• Cognitive and behavioral theories in economics .
• Cross-cultural consumer behavior and marketing communication. Consumers are not only affected by personal characteristics, but also by the culture they are living in. This topic focuses on the extent it should determine marketing strategy and communication.
• Behavior implications of wealth and inequality.

• Optimism and pessimism for future behavior.

💼 Financial Economics

• Financial Economics for Infrastructure and Fiscal Policy .
• The use of the economic concept of human capital. Students can focus on the dichotomy between human and nonhuman capital. Many economists believe that human capital is the most crucial of all. Some approach this issue differently. Therefore, students should do their research and find where they stand on this issue.
• The analysis of the global financial crisis of 2020s. Share your thoughts, predictions, ideas. Analyze the economic situation that affects almost everyone in the world. This thesis topic will be fresh and original. It can help to start a good and fruitful conversation.
• The big data economic challenges for Volvo car.
• The connection between finance, economics, and accounting.
• Financial economics: Banks competition in the UK .
• Risk-Taking by mutual funds as a response to incentives.
• Managerial economics and financial accounting as a basis for business decisions.
• Stock market overreaction.

🌱 Agricultural Economics

• Agricultural economics and agribusiness.
• The vulnerability of agricultural business in African countries.
• Agricultural economics and environmental considerations of biofuels .
• Farmer’s contribution to agricultural social capital.
• Agricultural and resource economics. Agricultural and resource economics plays a huge role in development. They are subdivided into four main characteristics which in this topic, students can talk about: – mineral and energy resources; – soil resources, water resources; – biological resources. One or even all of them can be a focus of the thesis.
• Water as an economic good in irrigated agriculture.
• Agriculture in the economic development of Iran.
• The US Agricultural Food Policy and Production .
• Pesticides usage on agricultural products in California.

• An analysis of economic efficiency in agriculture. A lot of research has been done on the question of economic efficiency in agriculture. However, it does not mean there is no place for your study. You have to read a lot of secondary sources to see where your arguments can fit.

🤝‍Economic Sociology

• Theory, approach, and method in economics sociology.
• Economic sociology of capitalism. While economists believe in the positive effect capitalism has on the economy, the social effect is quite different. The “economic” part of the issue has been studied a lot. However, the sociology of it has been not. This thesis can be very intriguing to read.
• Political Economy and Economic Sociology.
• Gender and economic sociology .
• Progress, sociology, and economics.
• Data analysis in economics, sociology, environment .
• Economic sociology as a way to understand the human mind.
• Economic sociology of money.
• Economics, sociology, and psychology of security.
• Major principles of economic sociology. In the past decade, economic sociology became an increasingly popular field. Mainly due to it giving a new view on economics, human mind, and behavior. Besides, it explores relationships between politics, law, culture, and gender.

📚 The List of Ph.D. Topics in Economics

If you decide to go to grad school to do your Masters, you will likely end up getting a Ph.D. as well. So, with this plan in mind, think about a field that interests you enough during your Masters. Working with the same topic for both graduate degrees is easier and more effective.

This list of Ph.D. Topics in Economics can help you identify the areas you can work on.

• Occupational injuries in Pakistan and its effect on the economy. Injuries are the leading cause of the global burden of disability. Globally, Pakistan was ranked 9th populated country with a large number of unskilled workers. In this dissertation, consider the link between occupational injuries and their effects on the economy.
• The study of the Philippines’ economic development.

• Financial derivatives and climate change .
• Econometric Analysis of Financial Markets.
• Islamic Banking and Financial Markets .
• Health economics and policy in the UK.
• Health insurance: rationale and economic justification. In this dissertation, students can find different ways to explain and justify health insurance. Starting to philosophical to purely economic grounds. In the past years, there was a lot of discussion regarding the healthcare system for all. What are some of the economic benefits of that?
• Colombian economy, economic growth, and inequality.
• Benefits of mergers and acquisitions in agribusiness.
• Methods to measure financial risks when investing in Africa.
• The significance of financial economics in understanding the relationship between a country’s GDP and NDP.
• Network effects in cryptocurrency. Cryptocurrencies are not new anymore. However, it is still an original subject for a dissertation. Students can decide to choose several crypto coins and evaluate the importance of the network effect. This effect is particularly significant for Bitcoin. Explain why.
• The comparison of the Chinese growth model with the American growth model.
• An economic justification versus political expediency.
• Pollution Externalities Role in Management Economics .

📝 How to Select an Economics Thesis Topic

As your academic journey is coming to an end, it’s time to pick the right topic for your thesis. The whole academic life you were preparing to undertake this challenge.

Here is the list of six points that will help you to select an economics thesis topic:

• Make sure it is something you are genuinely interested in. It is incredibly challenging to write something engaging if you are not interested in the topic. So, choose wisely and chose what excites you.
• Draw inspiration from the previous student’s projects. A great place to start is by looking at what the previous students wrote. You can find some fresh ideas and a general direction.
• Ask your thesis advisor for his feedback. Most probably, your thesis advisor supervised many students before. They can be a great help too because they know how to assess papers. Before meeting with your professor, do some basic research, and understand what topic is about.
• Be original, but not too much. You do not want to spend your time writing about a project that many people wrote about. Your readers will not be interested in reading it, but your professors as well. However, make sure you do not pick anything too obscure. It will leave you with no secondary sources.
• Choose a narrow and specific topic. Not only will it allow you to be more original, but also to master a topic. When the issue is too broad, there is just too much information to cover in one thesis.
• Go interdisciplinary. If you find yourself interested in history, philosophy, or any other related topic, it can help you write an exceptional thesis in economics. Most of your peers may work on pure economics. Then, the interdisciplinary approach can help you to stand out among them.

Thank you for reading the article to the end! We hope this list of economics thesis topics ideas could help you to gather your thoughts and get inspired. Share it with those who may find it useful. Let us know what you think about it in the comment section below.

🔗 References

• Economics Thesis Topics List: Seminars Only
• How To Pick A Topic For Your Economics Research Project Or Master’s Thesis: INOMICS, The Site for Economists
• What Do Theses and Dissertations Look Like: KU Writing Center, the University of Kansas
• Writing Economics: Robert Neugeboren with Mireille Jacobson, University of Harvard
• Economics Ph.D. Theses: Department of Economics, University of Sussex Business School, IDEAS_RePEc
• World Economic Situation and Prospects 2018: United Nations
• Undergraduate Honors Theses: Department of Economics, University of California, Berkeley
• Economics Department Dissertations Collection: Economics Department, University of Massachusetts Amherst
• Topics for Master Theses: Department of Economics, NHH, Norwegian School of Economics
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The dilemma I faced in getting Thesis proposal for my M Phil programme is taken away. Your article would be a useful guide to many more students.Thank you for your guidance.

Thanks for the feedback, John! Your opinion is very important for us!

I wants it for msc thesis

These are very helpful and concise research topics which I have spent days surfing the internet to get all this while. Thanks for making research life experience easier for me. Keep this good work up.

Thank you, Idris!

Glad to hear that! Thank you for your feedback, Idris!

Excellent research

For research

A very well written, clear and easy-to-read article. It was highly helpful. Thank you!

Thanks for your kind words! We look forward to seeing you again!

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What the data says about crime in the U.S.

A growing share of Americans say reducing crime should be a top priority for the president and Congress to address this year. Around six-in-ten U.S. adults (58%) hold that view today, up from 47% at the beginning of Joe Biden’s presidency in 2021.

We conducted this analysis to learn more about U.S. crime patterns and how those patterns have changed over time.

The analysis relies on statistics published by the FBI, which we accessed through the Crime Data Explorer , and the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), which we accessed through the  National Crime Victimization Survey data analysis tool .

To measure public attitudes about crime in the U.S., we relied on survey data from Pew Research Center and Gallup.

Additional details about each data source, including survey methodologies, are available by following the links in the text of this analysis.

With the issue likely to come up in this year’s presidential election, here’s what we know about crime in the United States, based on the latest available data from the federal government and other sources.

How much crime is there in the U.S.?

It’s difficult to say for certain. The  two primary sources of government crime statistics  – the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) – paint an incomplete picture.

The FBI publishes  annual data  on crimes that have been reported to law enforcement, but not crimes that haven’t been reported. Historically, the FBI has also only published statistics about a handful of specific violent and property crimes, but not many other types of crime, such as drug crime. And while the FBI’s data is based on information from thousands of federal, state, county, city and other police departments, not all law enforcement agencies participate every year. In 2022, the most recent full year with available statistics, the FBI received data from 83% of participating agencies .

BJS, for its part, tracks crime by fielding a  large annual survey of Americans ages 12 and older and asking them whether they were the victim of certain types of crime in the past six months. One advantage of this approach is that it captures both reported and unreported crimes. But the BJS survey has limitations of its own. Like the FBI, it focuses mainly on a handful of violent and property crimes. And since the BJS data is based on after-the-fact interviews with crime victims, it cannot provide information about one especially high-profile type of offense: murder.

All those caveats aside, looking at the FBI and BJS statistics side-by-side  does  give researchers a good picture of U.S. violent and property crime rates and how they have changed over time. In addition, the FBI is transitioning to a new data collection system – known as the National Incident-Based Reporting System – that eventually will provide national information on a much larger set of crimes , as well as details such as the time and place they occur and the types of weapons involved, if applicable.

Which kinds of crime are most and least common?

Property crime in the U.S. is much more common than violent crime. In 2022, the FBI reported a total of 1,954.4 property crimes per 100,000 people, compared with 380.7 violent crimes per 100,000 people.  

By far the most common form of property crime in 2022 was larceny/theft, followed by motor vehicle theft and burglary. Among violent crimes, aggravated assault was the most common offense, followed by robbery, rape, and murder/nonnegligent manslaughter.

BJS tracks a slightly different set of offenses from the FBI, but it finds the same overall patterns, with theft the most common form of property crime in 2022 and assault the most common form of violent crime.

How have crime rates in the U.S. changed over time?

Both the FBI and BJS data show dramatic declines in U.S. violent and property crime rates since the early 1990s, when crime spiked across much of the nation.

Using the FBI data, the violent crime rate fell 49% between 1993 and 2022, with large decreases in the rates of robbery (-74%), aggravated assault (-39%) and murder/nonnegligent manslaughter (-34%). It’s not possible to calculate the change in the rape rate during this period because the FBI  revised its definition of the offense in 2013 .

The FBI data also shows a 59% reduction in the U.S. property crime rate between 1993 and 2022, with big declines in the rates of burglary (-75%), larceny/theft (-54%) and motor vehicle theft (-53%).

Using the BJS statistics, the declines in the violent and property crime rates are even steeper than those captured in the FBI data. Per BJS, the U.S. violent and property crime rates each fell 71% between 1993 and 2022.

While crime rates have fallen sharply over the long term, the decline hasn’t always been steady. There have been notable increases in certain kinds of crime in some years, including recently.

In 2020, for example, the U.S. murder rate saw its largest single-year increase on record – and by 2022, it remained considerably higher than before the coronavirus pandemic. Preliminary data for 2023, however, suggests that the murder rate fell substantially last year .

How do Americans perceive crime in their country?

Americans tend to believe crime is up, even when official data shows it is down.

In 23 of 27 Gallup surveys conducted since 1993 , at least 60% of U.S. adults have said there is more crime nationally than there was the year before, despite the downward trend in crime rates during most of that period.

While perceptions of rising crime at the national level are common, fewer Americans believe crime is up in their own communities. In every Gallup crime survey since the 1990s, Americans have been much less likely to say crime is up in their area than to say the same about crime nationally.

Public attitudes about crime differ widely by Americans’ party affiliation, race and ethnicity, and other factors . For example, Republicans and Republican-leaning independents are much more likely than Democrats and Democratic leaners to say reducing crime should be a top priority for the president and Congress this year (68% vs. 47%), according to a recent Pew Research Center survey.

How does crime in the U.S. differ by demographic characteristics?

Some groups of Americans are more likely than others to be victims of crime. In the  2022 BJS survey , for example, younger people and those with lower incomes were far more likely to report being the victim of a violent crime than older and higher-income people.

There were no major differences in violent crime victimization rates between male and female respondents or between those who identified as White, Black or Hispanic. But the victimization rate among Asian Americans (a category that includes Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders) was substantially lower than among other racial and ethnic groups.

The same BJS survey asks victims about the demographic characteristics of the offenders in the incidents they experienced.

In 2022, those who are male, younger people and those who are Black accounted for considerably larger shares of perceived offenders in violent incidents than their respective shares of the U.S. population. Men, for instance, accounted for 79% of perceived offenders in violent incidents, compared with 49% of the nation’s 12-and-older population that year. Black Americans accounted for 25% of perceived offenders in violent incidents, about twice their share of the 12-and-older population (12%).

As with all surveys, however, there are several potential sources of error, including the possibility that crime victims’ perceptions about offenders are incorrect.

How does crime in the U.S. differ geographically?

There are big geographic differences in violent and property crime rates.

For example, in 2022, there were more than 700 violent crimes per 100,000 residents in New Mexico and Alaska. That compares with fewer than 200 per 100,000 people in Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire and Maine, according to the FBI.

The FBI notes that various factors might influence an area’s crime rate, including its population density and economic conditions.

What percentage of crimes are reported to police? What percentage are solved?

Most violent and property crimes in the U.S. are not reported to police, and most of the crimes that  are  reported are not solved.

In its annual survey, BJS asks crime victims whether they reported their crime to police. It found that in 2022, only 41.5% of violent crimes and 31.8% of household property crimes were reported to authorities. BJS notes that there are many reasons why crime might not be reported, including fear of reprisal or of “getting the offender in trouble,” a feeling that police “would not or could not do anything to help,” or a belief that the crime is “a personal issue or too trivial to report.”

Most of the crimes that are reported to police, meanwhile,  are not solved , at least based on an FBI measure known as the clearance rate . That’s the share of cases each year that are closed, or “cleared,” through the arrest, charging and referral of a suspect for prosecution, or due to “exceptional” circumstances such as the death of a suspect or a victim’s refusal to cooperate with a prosecution. In 2022, police nationwide cleared 36.7% of violent crimes that were reported to them and 12.1% of the property crimes that came to their attention.

Which crimes are most likely to be reported to police? Which are most likely to be solved?

Around eight-in-ten motor vehicle thefts (80.9%) were reported to police in 2022, making them by far the most commonly reported property crime tracked by BJS. Household burglaries and trespassing offenses were reported to police at much lower rates (44.9% and 41.2%, respectively), while personal theft/larceny and other types of theft were only reported around a quarter of the time.

Among violent crimes – excluding homicide, which BJS doesn’t track – robbery was the most likely to be reported to law enforcement in 2022 (64.0%). It was followed by aggravated assault (49.9%), simple assault (36.8%) and rape/sexual assault (21.4%).

The list of crimes  cleared  by police in 2022 looks different from the list of crimes reported. Law enforcement officers were generally much more likely to solve violent crimes than property crimes, according to the FBI.

The most frequently solved violent crime tends to be homicide. Police cleared around half of murders and nonnegligent manslaughters (52.3%) in 2022. The clearance rates were lower for aggravated assault (41.4%), rape (26.1%) and robbery (23.2%).

When it comes to property crime, law enforcement agencies cleared 13.0% of burglaries, 12.4% of larcenies/thefts and 9.3% of motor vehicle thefts in 2022.

Are police solving more or fewer crimes than they used to?

Nationwide clearance rates for both violent and property crime are at their lowest levels since at least 1993, the FBI data shows.

Police cleared a little over a third (36.7%) of the violent crimes that came to their attention in 2022, down from nearly half (48.1%) as recently as 2013. During the same period, there were decreases for each of the four types of violent crime the FBI tracks:

• Police cleared 52.3% of reported murders and nonnegligent homicides in 2022, down from 64.1% in 2013.
• They cleared 41.4% of aggravated assaults, down from 57.7%.
• They cleared 26.1% of rapes, down from 40.6%.
• They cleared 23.2% of robberies, down from 29.4%.

The pattern is less pronounced for property crime. Overall, law enforcement agencies cleared 12.1% of reported property crimes in 2022, down from 19.7% in 2013. The clearance rate for burglary didn’t change much, but it fell for larceny/theft (to 12.4% in 2022 from 22.4% in 2013) and motor vehicle theft (to 9.3% from 14.2%).

Note: This is an update of a post originally published on Nov. 20, 2020.

• Criminal Justice

John Gramlich is an associate director at Pew Research Center

8 facts about Black Lives Matter

#blacklivesmatter turns 10, support for the black lives matter movement has dropped considerably from its peak in 2020, fewer than 1% of federal criminal defendants were acquitted in 2022, before release of video showing tyre nichols’ beating, public views of police conduct had improved modestly, most popular.

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