Price elasticity of demand is a measure of the sensitivity of the quantity of a good or service that consumers are willing to purchase to a change in its price. It reflects how responsive consumers are to changes in price, and it is calculated as the percentage change in quantity demanded divided by the percentage change in price.
If the quantity demanded of a good or service is highly sensitive to changes in its price, then the demand for that good or service is said to be elastic. This means that a small change in price can result in a large change in the quantity of the good or service that consumers are willing to purchase. For example, if the price of a good or service increases by 10% and the quantity demanded decreases by 20%, then the demand for that good or service is elastic.
On the other hand, if the quantity demanded of a good or service is not very sensitive to changes in its price, then the demand for that good or service is said to be inelastic. This means that a change in price has only a small effect on the quantity of the good or service that consumers are willing to purchase. For example, if the price of a good or service increases by 10% and the quantity demanded decreases by only 5%, then the demand for that good or service is inelastic.
Income elasticity of demand is a measure of the sensitivity of the quantity of a good or service that consumers are willing to purchase to a change in their income. It reflects how responsive consumers are to changes in their income, and it is calculated as the percentage change in quantity demanded divided by the percentage change in income.
If the quantity demanded of a good or service is highly sensitive to changes in income, then the demand for that good or service is said to be income elastic. This means that an increase in income can result in a large increase in the quantity of the good or service that consumers are willing to purchase. For example, if a consumer's income increases by 10% and the quantity of a good or service that they purchase increases by 20%, then the demand for that good or service is income elastic.
On the other hand, if the quantity demanded of a good or service is not very sensitive to changes in income, then the demand for that good or service is said to be income inelastic. This means that a change in income has only a small effect on the quantity of the good or service that consumers are willing to purchase. For example, if a consumer's income increases by 10% and the quantity of a good or service that they purchase increases by only 5%, then the demand for that good or service is income inelastic.
It is important to note that the elasticity of demand can vary depending on the type of good or service being considered. For example, necessities such as food and shelter tend to have inelastic demand, while luxury goods such as expensive cars and designer clothing tend to have elastic demand. Additionally, the elasticity of demand can also vary over time and across different market segments.
In conclusion, price elasticity of demand and income elasticity of demand are important concepts in economics that measure the sensitivity of the quantity of a good or service that consumers are willing to purchase to changes in price and income, respectively. Understanding these elasticities can help businesses and policymakers make informed decisions about pricing and other economic policies.