IB Economics Paper 2 Predicted Topics 2026

IB does not repeat exact Paper 2 questions, but it does repeat patterns. The same economic mechanisms come back through new case studies, new numbers, and different countries.

Use this list with the last-minute revision plan so your IB Economics revision stays focused instead of reactive.

1. Trade

• Tariffs and quotas
• Imports and export competitiveness
• Winners and losers from protectionism

Trade is one of the safest Paper 2 priorities because it combines data interpretation, diagrams, and evaluation in a single topic.

2. Exchange rates

• Appreciation and depreciation
• Interest-rate changes
• Export and import effects

Make sure you can explain the exchange-rate diagram cleanly and apply it to the case-study country.

3. AD/AS and macro policy

• Economic growth
• Inflation
• Supply-side measures such as education or infrastructure

4. Inequality

• Lorenz curve interpretation
• Progressive taxation and transfers
• Growth versus equity trade-offs

5. Sustainability and the environment

• Carbon taxes and regulation
• Growth versus sustainability
• Externalities in development contexts

If your class keeps seeing development-themed case studies, pair this page with the growth versus environment essay model so you have usable evaluation ready.

How to use these predictions properly

• Revise the mechanisms, not only the vocabulary
• Learn one real-world example for each theme
• Practise one diagram and one short explanation for each theme