IB Economics Past Paper Patterns (2022–2025 Topic Analysis)

Knowing which topics appear most frequently in past papers isn't crystal-ball prediction — it's data-backed revision strategy.

Below is a complete analysis of IB Economics SL/HL Paper 1 (2022–2025) showing topic frequency and distribution.

The data: Topic frequency (2022–2025)

Strategic takeaway: Where to focus

TIER 1 (Must revise — 75%+ frequency)

• Government intervention — appears in 75% of papers
• Market failure — appears in 60% of papers

These two topics dominate Paper 1. Know them deeply: diagrams, evaluation, real-world examples. See our full guide to government intervention and understand how to evaluate policies from multiple angles.

TIER 2 (High frequency — 50%)

• Supply & demand — appears in 50% (usually Part a)
• Elasticity — appears in 50% (standalone or embedded in intervention)

These appear consistently. Master the fundamentals: be fluent with diagrams, understand determinants. See our elasticity guide.

TIER 3 (Emerging trends)

• AD/AS & macro — only 3/8 past papers, but trending upward (increasing in frequency)
• Income inequality — 2/8 papers, but high-stakes when it appears (both SL & HL)

Don't neglect these, but prioritize Tier 1 & 2 first. Macro concepts (AD/AS, deflationary gap) are increasingly popular.

Part (a) vs Part (b) distribution

Part (a) usually tests:

• Supply & demand (shifts, equilibrium)
• Elasticity (determinants, PED calculations)
• Basic concepts (monopoly structure, market failure types)

Part (b) usually tests:

• Government intervention (almost always asks you to evaluate a policy)
• Market failure (requires evaluation of solutions)
• Macroeconomics (AD/AS analysis, policy effectiveness)

HL vs SL differences

HL students get harder versions of the same topics:

• More complex elasticity (cross-elasticity, income elasticity, combined)
• Multi-stage government interventions (tax + subsidy combinations)
• Monopolistic competition, perfect competition welfare analysis
• Paper 3 adds: price discrimination, dumping, development economics

SL covers the same core topics but with less mathematical depth and fewer policy combinations. Both follow the same past paper patterns.

What RARELY appears (don't over-revise)

• Wage determination — hasn't appeared in 4 years
• International trade (comparative advantage) — not in past 4 papers (Paper 2 domain only)
• Perfect competition theory (long-run equilibrium) — appears maybe once per year, mostly detail
• Environmental economics — only when embedded in externalities questions

Your strategic revision plan

The one thing ALL papers test

Evaluation. Every single 15-mark Paper 1 question (Part b) requires you to evaluate something. Know the evaluation framework:

1. Acknowledge multiple perspectives
2. Weigh advantages vs disadvantages
3. Use real-world evidence
4. Make a judgement

See our evaluation technique guide for the exact structure.