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Consumer Surplus: Highest price consumers are willing to pay for a good minus the price actually paid

  • Area below demand curve and above price line

Producer Surplus:**** Price received by firms for selling their good minus the lowest price that they are willing to accept to produce the good

  • Area above supply curve and below price line

Consumer Surplus + Producer Surplus = Total Surplus

  • Total surplus reflects society’s welfare
  • One of the key concerns of economics: Maximise TS
  • Allocative efficiency achieved when TS is maximised

Deadweight loss: Area between consumer and producer surplus, and market equilibrium

  • Difference in production and consumption of any given product or service including government tax