Category: Economics Dissertations

Our sample economics dissertations are an ideal tool for any student struggling to start their own economics dissertation. It is worth noting that economic management is an essential part of any organisation and there are many components of economic management. By browsing our collection of economics dissertation topics, you will get ideas for your economics dissertation through the following economics subjects:

Hyperinflation, Macroeconomics, Economic Policy, International Monetary Fund, Economic Development, Interest Rates, Oil Price, Economic Growth, FDI, Microeconomics, Supply, Demand, Regional Development, Employment Economics and Financial Economics.

Economics Dissertation Topics

Sample Economics Dissertation Topics for 2024

Sample Economics Dissertation Topics for 2024 – Selecting a topic for an economics dissertation is a critical step that can significantly influence the direction and impact of your research. A well-chosen topic not only aligns with your interests but also contributes to the existing body of economic knowledge. Here, we present an extensive list of sample economics dissertation topics designed to inspire and guide your academic journey. These topics cover a diverse range of economic issues, ensuring that you can find a subject that suits your expertise and research goals.

Global Economic Challenges and Opportunities

1. The Role of Cryptocurrency in Modern Financial Systems

Cryptocurrency has emerged as a transformative force in the financial sector. This topic examines the implications of cryptocurrencies on global financial markets, considering factors such as investment strategies, regulatory challenges, and market volatility.

2. The Economic Impact of Artificial Intelligence and Automation

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and automation are reshaping industries worldwide. Investigating this topic involves analysing the economic benefits and potential drawbacks of AI, including its effects on productivity, employment, and sectoral growth.

3. Climate Change Economics: Costs and Mitigation Strategies

Climate change presents significant economic challenges. This dissertation could explore the economic costs associated with climate change and the effectiveness of various mitigation strategies, such as renewable energy investments, carbon pricing, and sustainable development initiatives.

Regional and National Economic Studies

4. Post-Brexit Economic Policies and Their Impact on the UK and EU

Brexit has introduced substantial economic uncertainties. This topic involves a comprehensive analysis of the economic consequences of Brexit on trade, immigration, and financial stability in both the UK and the EU.

5. Drivers of Economic Growth in Emerging Economies

Understanding the factors that drive economic growth in emerging economies is crucial. This dissertation could explore aspects such as foreign direct investment, infrastructure development, and policy reforms that contribute to sustainable economic growth in these regions.

6. Governmental Response to Economic Crises: Lessons from COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on global economies. This topic examines the effectiveness of governmental responses to the economic crisis, focusing on fiscal and monetary policies, and support measures for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Sectoral Economic Analyses

7. Evaluating the Efficiency of Healthcare Systems

Healthcare systems play a critical role in economic stability. This dissertation could compare the efficiency of different healthcare models, evaluating public versus private healthcare systems and the economic implications of healthcare reforms.

8. The Economic Impact of Tourism in Developing Countries

Tourism is a vital economic driver for many developing nations. This topic investigates the benefits and challenges of tourism, including its impact on local economies, employment rates, and infrastructure development, as well as the influence of global events on tourism trends.

9. The Automotive Industry: Economic Contributions and Challenges

The automotive industry is pivotal for economic growth and innovation. This dissertation could explore the industry’s contributions to economic development, the effects of globalisation, trade policies, and environmental regulations on automotive manufacturing and sales.

Financial Economics and Market Dynamics

10. Behavioural Economics: Understanding Consumer Decision-Making

Behavioural economics provides insights into how psychological factors influence economic decisions. This topic could analyse consumer behaviour patterns, the impact of cognitive biases on financial decisions, and strategies to enhance financial literacy.

11. The Role of Financial Institutions in Maintaining Economic Stability

Financial institutions are crucial for economic stability. This dissertation could investigate the roles of banks, investment firms, and regulatory bodies in preventing financial crises, ensuring market liquidity, and fostering sustainable economic growth.

12. Analyzing Stock Market Volatility and Its Economic Implications

Stock market volatility has significant economic repercussions. This topic could explore the causes of market fluctuations, the role of investor sentiment, and the effectiveness of various risk management strategies in mitigating volatility.

International Trade and Economic Policies

13. Trade Wars: Economic Impacts and Global Consequences

Trade wars can disrupt global economic relations. This dissertation could investigate the economic impacts of trade conflicts between major economies, focusing on tariffs, supply chain disruptions, and shifts in global trade patterns.

14. The Impact of Trade Liberalisation on Developing Economies

Trade liberalisation aims to promote economic growth by reducing trade barriers. This topic could explore the effects of trade liberalisation on developing economies, considering the opportunities for growth and the challenges posed by increased competition and market integration.

15. The Economics of International Aid and Development

International aid is critical for the development of impoverished regions. This dissertation could examine the effectiveness of aid programmes, the economic benefits of aid, and potential issues such as dependency and the misallocation of resources.

Labour Economics and Employment Trends

16. The Gig Economy: Opportunities and Challenges

The gig economy is altering traditional employment patterns. This topic could analyse the economic implications of gig work on labour markets, wage structures, job security, and worker rights, highlighting both the benefits and challenges of this employment model.

***Sample Economics Dissertation Topics***

17. Gender Wage Gap: Economic Analysis and Policy Solutions

The gender wage gap remains a persistent issue in many economies. This dissertation could investigate the factors contributing to wage disparities, the economic impact of wage inequality, and potential policy interventions to promote gender pay equity.

18. Future Employment Trends: Automation and the Workforce

Automation is expected to have a significant impact on future employment trends. This topic could explore how automation affects job displacement, skill requirements, and labour market dynamics, offering insights into how economies can adapt to technological advancements.

Environmental and Resource Economics

19. Economic Benefits and Challenges of Renewable Energy Adoption

Renewable energy is essential for sustainable economic development. This dissertation could examine the economic benefits and challenges of transitioning to renewable energy sources, considering factors such as cost-efficiency, policy incentives, and market impacts.

20. Water Resource Management: Economic Implications

Water resources are crucial for economic activities. This topic could explore the economic impacts of water scarcity, the effectiveness of water management policies, and strategies for sustainable water use and equitable access.

21. The Economic Impact of Environmental Regulations on Industry

Environmental regulations are necessary to protect natural resources and public health. This dissertation could analyse the economic effects of these regulations on various industries, considering compliance costs, competitive advantages, and the potential for innovation in sustainable practices.

Sample Economics Dissertation Topics Relevant Posts

University Economics Projects

MBA Project International Economic Environment

Challenges of Brexit

What Are The Underlying Causes of Ethnicity Wage Gaps In The United Kingdom

Applying Economic Modelling to the Movement of Refugees

Predicting Economic Market Failure and Collapse in The London Housing Market and How It Compares to a Collapse in The Wider UK Housing Market – A VAR Approach

An Exploration on How Climatic Alteration Has Affected the Economy of the United States

Conclusion

Selecting a relevant and engaging economics dissertation topic is essential for producing impactful research. The topics outlined in this article span a wide array of contemporary economic issues, offering numerous opportunities for in-depth exploration and analysis. By engaging with these topics, you can contribute valuable insights to the field of economics and advance your academic and professional aspirations.

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Purchasing Power Parity Dissertation

This dissertation examines long-run purchasing power parity (PPP) between the United States and other competing countries and regions using monthly data from 1960 to 2019. Mainstream methods of PPP test and most influential researches are reviewed.

Three methods of PPP testing – Unit Root Test, Cointegration Test, Panel Unit Root Test have been applied in this paper. We identify that PPP holds between the US and a certain number of countries by analysing the test results. Also, the results of PPP test between the US and its top 10 trading partners have been specifically investigated and elaborated.

This dissertation highlights that both the Multivariable co-integration tests and the bivariable Cointegration tests are applied in order to find out the effect of prior restrictions on the results. Then, this chapter examines whether the PPP holds between the US and its top 10 trading partners countries minus China with the panel unit root test. Finally, in the sixth chapter, this paper concludes that PPP holds in 41 countries out of 176 countries, and among the US top 10 trading partners, only China, Canada and India do not have solid evidence supporting PPP.

The purchasing power parity (PPP) theory, as one of the most influential economic theories, has been widely used in macroeconomic analysis. It states that the price of the same commodity or a basket of products in two countries should be proportional to the exchange rate between the two countries. The exchange rate is crucial to the economic development of a country, not only because it affects the volume of imports and exports between countries, but also because it is highly correlated with other economic indicators, such as GDP and interest rate. Therefore, it is necessary to study the PPP theory to determine the equilibrium exchange rate as well as assist governments in adjusting exchange rates based on empirical evidence.

This dissertation will be structured in the following way. In chapter 1, this paper introduces the definition of purchasing power parity and then explains the significance of PPP studying. A brief history of the stages of the PPP study is also covered in this chapter. The second chapter is the literature review. It reviews the origin and evolution of PPP theory and common test methods. Sample testing results using different methods are also discussed in this dissertation and they also give us a broad view of PPP tests conducted for various countries using data from different time spans.

In the meantime, critiques and strengths of each test method are covered to provide a comprehensive view of each PPP test method. Besides, previous studies on the US are reviewed as well. In the third chapter, this paper presents a series of econometric methods and models to be used in this thesis, including unit root test, cointegration test and panel unit root test. In the fourth chapter, it explains the data source in detail. For EU countries that miss data due to the adoption of EUR, this paper also describes how the equivalent data is generated to fill the holes. The fifth chapter is the empirical analysis. This chapter first plots the real exchange rate for the US and its top 10 trading partners, and by presenting the graphs, the trend will be analysed.

In general, the purchasing power parity (PPP) theory works miserably when applied to real-world data. In other words, it is rare for the PPP relationship to hold true between any two countries at any particular point in time. In most scientific disciplines, the failure of a theory to be supported by the data means the theory is refuted and should be thrown out or tossed away.

However, economists have been reluctant to do that with the PPP theory. In part this is because the logic of the theory seems particularly sound. In part it’s because there are so many “frictions” in the real world, such as tariffs, nontariff barriers, transportation costs, measurement problems, and so on that it would actually be surprising for the theory to work when applied directly to the data.

Purchasing Power Parity Dissertation Contents

Chapter 1 – Introduction

Chapter 2 – Literature Review
Two Versions of the PPP Theory
Evolution of PPP Test
Simple Static PPP Test
Unit Root Test
Cointegration Test
Panel Unit Root Test
Non-linear Test
US & Related Tests

Chapter 3 – Empirical Framework
Tests for a Unit Root in the Real Exchange Rate
Cointegration Test
Panel Unit Root Test

Chapter 4 – Data Description

Chapter 5 – Empirical Analysis
Real Exchange Rate Observation
Unit Root Test
Cointegration Test
Multivariate Cointegration Test
Bivariate Cointegration Test
Panel Unit Root Test
Analysis of the US Top 10 trading countries’ Test Result

Chapter 6 – Conclusion

References

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Contactless Payments Economics Dissertation

Contactless Payments Economics Dissertation – Has the Uptake of Innovative Payment Methods affected UK Student Spending Habits? Emphasis on Contactless Payments

This dissertation analyses the current payment landscape in the UK in a period of increased digitisation and use of contactless payment. The aim of this dissertation is to understand how innovative payment instruments like contactless cards and mobile payments, have affected the spending behaviour of students age 18 – 24.

It investigates the rationale for such behaviour and explores the differences that arise when using traditional methods such as cash. Using qualitative semi-structured interviews and questionnaire responses, this study builds on existing research and applies thematic content analysis to identify trends in student spending patterns when exposed to innovative payment methods.

Further illustrated by quantitative regression analysis, the use of contactless payment methods, significantly influenced student spending habits. Common themes apparent from the analysis included a subconscious accumulation of small, impulsive purchases, as well as a reduced sense of guilt when using contactless payments. This was primarily attributed to the theory that in comparison to using cash for payments, contactless transactions are intangible and therefore do not feel like using real or tangible money.

Dissertation Contents

Chapter 1 – Introduction

Chapter 2 – Literature Review
History of contactless payment
Contactless Payment Technology
Mobile Proximity Payment
Adoption of Technology Model
Consumer Payment Choice
The Preference for Innovation
The Transition to a Cashless Society
Student Spending Habits
Psychological Aspects
The Pain of Paying

Chapter 3 – Methodology
Research Design
Research Style – Qualitative
Semi- Structured Interviews
Investigative Questionnaire
Data Analysis
Quantitative Analysis – Probit Regression
Bank Balance
Financial Fluency

Chapter 4 – Data Analysis and Discussion
Description of Sample
Qualitative results and Descriptive Statistics
Initial Observations
Payment Tangibility
The Effect of Contactless Adoption on Spending
Mobile Proximity Payment (MPP Adoption)
Inhibitors to Contactless Adoption
Student Debt Contributors
Implications of a Cashless Society
Quantitative Regressions
Awareness of Current Bank Balance
Financial Fluency
Limitations of the Dissertation

Chapter 5 – Evaluation and Conclusion

References

Appendix

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Globalisation Patterns of Consumption

According to UK Finance (2020). “We all tend to reach for the payment methods that we are accustomed to using, forming habits over time that can be quite strong. Once we have found a set of payment methods that we are comfortable using and that help us to manage our finances effectively, it can take a great deal for us to change to a different way of doing things. As a result, payment markets have historically tended to evolve slowly. Despite this natural inertia, technological change and significant innovation in payment methods have brought greater choice for people and businesses in how they pay for things.

*Contactless Payments Economics Dissertation*

This has been led by the popularity of the smartphone, which has revolutionised many aspects of modern life in just over a decade. Also, innovations such as contactless payments, mobile wallets, online banking and mobile banking have had a significant impact on the way that we now choose to pay for goods and services and manage our finances. As people have realised the value to them of doing things in a different way, so their payment habits have evolved, resulting in a gradual revolution in payments in the UK.

During 2019, card payments continued to grow as consumers and business increasingly used their cards to pay for things, whether online or in the ‘real world’. This growth saw card payments increase to the point of accounting for over half (51%) of all payments in the UK for the first time. Online and contactless payments continued to act as substantial drivers of this growth, with eight out of ten UK adults using contactless payments in 2019.

Strong growth was also seen in Faster Payments as both businesses and consumers increasingly used online and mobile banking to make payments and to transfer money. Mobile banking in particular continues to grow strongly, and users are continually widening the range of tasks that they perform using such services, exploring beyond checking their balances to also make one-off payments and manage other aspects of their finances” Source: UK Finance. UK PAYMENT MARKETS SUMMARY 2020.

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London Housing Market Collapse Dissertation

Predicting Economic Market Failure and Collapse in The London Housing Market and How It Compares to a Collapse in The Wider UK Housing Market – A VAR Approach

The general objective of this dissertation is to (i) test whether a collapse in the London Housing Market would affect the UK economy and (ii) see if its impact on the economy is more significant than the impact of a UK Housing Market shock. We use a Vector Auto-regressive model (VAR) to analyse how GDP, Inflation and Uncertainty might react to a shock in either the London or the UK Housing Market. To do that, we go through the Impulse Response Function (IRF) which helps us identify the sign, significance and duration of the responses of our variables to a simulated shock in one the Housing Market.

We then go through the Historical Decomposition which calculates the contribution of the housing markets to the different structural accumulated shocks of our variables; and, helps us estimate whether the results found through the IRFs make empirical sense. We expect GDP to fall, Inflation to slow down, and Uncertainty to be negatively affected. We also consider the possibility of a recession being created in the economy, if GDP growth is affected negatively for more than three quarters. Lastly, we suppose that the London Housing Market will have a more significant impact on the economy.

**London Housing Market Economics Dissertation**

London Housing Market Dissertation Contents

Chapter 1 – Introduction

Chapter 2 – Literature Review

Chapter 3 – Analysis
Objectives
Methodology and Data
Empirical Model and the Data
Identification Strategy
Results
Impulse Response
The London Case
The UK Case
Historical Decomposition
Comparing the London case with the UK case
Sensitivity Analysis
Robustness Analysis
Changing the order
Replacing Uncertainty with other variables
Dividing the sample
Results prior to 1992
Results following 1992
Comparing our two sub-samples results
Critics and limitations of our model

Chapter 4 – Conclusion

Bibliography

Appendix

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London Housing Market Collapse Dissertation

Economics Dissertation Topics

It is the biggest plunge since the 7.0% annual drop recorded in August 2009, says ONS. “House prices in London have fallen at their fastest pace since the financial crash a decade ago as the capital bears the brunt of the nationwide torpor in the property market. Amid a dearth of potential buyers, the cost of a home in London was 4.4% lower in May than a year earlier, according to the latest official snapshot of the market from the Office for National Statistics.

The ONS said it was the biggest drop in London prices since the 7.0% annual fall recorded in August 2009 – a period that included the near-meltdown of the global banking system in the autumn of 2008” (The Guardian, 2019).

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Unemployment, Inflation and Production

Normally, unemployment takes place when an individual who is actively searching for is actually unable to secure work. With this, any country globally uses the unemployment concept to determine the health of its economy. In essence, the unemployment rate is the most used measure of unemployment which is basically the actual number of unemployed individuals divided by people within the labor force. Thus, in any country, there happen to be unemployment even though the economy is at full employment because of frictional and structural unemployment (Hakim, 2015).

First and foremost, frictional unemployment takes place when people keep transitioning from their old works to new ones during a certain period. This kind of unemployment is actually considered a voluntary one since workers decide to remain unemployed in an economy instead of taking up the first job opportunity offered. Hence, this kind of unemployment is normally present because a significant number of people consistently keep on searching for new employment opportunities (Dullien & et al., 2018). Equally, structural unemployment take place when market conditions, as well as business cycles, keep on changing due to oversupply of employment opportunities and individuals are fundamentally willing to work, however they are not qualified for these employment opportunities; hence, it is absolutely impossible for unemployment to be zero in any economy (Johnson, 2017).

Lastly, individual, societal, and country costs are primal costs associated with unemployment. In essence, unemployed people are actually subjected to massive loss regarding income earnings, hence, reducing their living standards. With this, the societal is compelled to spend more in order to provide the needs of unemployed population and unemployment benefits paid by the government keep on increasing whilst the government is unable to collect enough income tax as before; hence, increasing government borrowing or reduce its other expenditures which reduce economic growth (Hakim, 2015).

Unemployment and Consumer Price Index

Produced by the Bureaus of Labor Statistics, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) is used to measure the inflation rate in America. Normally, the CPI is determined by taking price changes of every item in the predetermined product basket and then averaging them. In essence, the CPI adjusts payments to inflation in order to effectively assess the price changes associated with the cost of living. However, CPI’s accuracy has been questioned to a number of biases that actually make it to overstate the effectiveness of the inflation rate.

First and foremost, when the prices for products in the consumer basket substantially increases and consumers opt to substitute them with lower priced ones, there exist substitution biases. This is because the CPI cannot precisely predict the price increase effect on consumers’ budget given the fact that the CPI is based on a fixed-weight price index (Dullien & et al., 2018). Moreover, the CPI does not take into consideration new products when determining the index until they fundamentally become ordinary. Above all, sudden decline in product prices normally linked with new technology ones and advanced increase in life and usefulness of products are not whatsoever depicted in the index. Lastly, when consumers shift to new outlets, the CPI is unable to account for this given the fact that the product basket is predetermined. With this, the CPI is not able to precisely measure a change in the cost of living standard over time (Johnson, 2017).

Dependability of Government Tax Revenue and Spending on the Economy’s State

In any country, when the economy expands so does people’s income rises since more employment opportunities are created and people are employed. Even if the government cannot actually raise the taxation rate, it can still collect more taxes. This is because the tax revenue base keeps on becoming big as more and more people are able to secure employment and pay income taxes; hence, the government is able to increase its expenditure.

Contrary to this, when an economy is unable to create employment opportunities and citizens are unemployed, the tax revenue base is small since people have no income on which taxes can be levied from. Subsequently, the government is forced to reduce its expenditure whilst increasing borrowing in order to provide unemployment benefits. Thus, the nature and composition of an economy’s state influence government tax revenues, government expenditure and social welfare (Hakim, 2015).

Limitations of Gross Domestic Product as an Indicator of Living Standard and Unemployment

As the total monetary value of final output produce within a nation’s borders in a specified time period, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is normally calculated either quarterly or annually. In essence, the GDP incorporates all total output of the country by adding up all private and public consumptions, government expenditure, investment, and net export to measure the economy’s overall activity as an indicator of nation’s economic health and its living standard (Dullien & et al., 2018). With this, the GDP measure a nation’s output produced and retailed in legal markets whilst omitting productive activities such as prostitution and individual fixation of water leak which have no market transactions; hence, the GDP does not perfectly measure the living standard within a certain country.

Unemployment Inflation Production — ***Unemployment, Inflation and Production***

Moreover, the GDP does not measure the environmental quality in determining the living standard of the nation. By an economy having significant GDP does not necessarily indicate that its people have a quality life when air, water, soil or even other natural resources are actually polluted. In essence, the GDP totally fails to measure the contribution of environmental sustainability to the country’s living standard. Equally, the GDP does not take into account how leisure time actually contributes to the country’s living standard. Although a country can have higher GDP if its economy is 12 or 24 hours one, this does not imply that people are better off given the fact that leisure time is vital in living standard (Johnson, 2017).

Therefore, the prevalent alternative to GDP as an indicator of living standard is the Human Development Index (HDI). Besides considering a country’s GDP, the HDI emphasis on people more specifically on their opportunities to achieve work and live satisfaction. In essence, in addition to the GDP, the HDI uses health and education statistics to measure the living standard within a certain country. By partially using purchasing power, which measures the actual cost of the same basket of output produced with a country’s border, the HDI can adjust the GDP to better measure living standard of a country (Dullien & et al., 2018).

References

Dullien, S., Goodwin, N., Harris, J. M., Nelson, J. A., Roach, B., & Torras, M. (2018). Macroeconomics in Context. Routledge.

Hakim, T. A. (2015). Introduction to Macroeconomics.

Johnson, H. G. (2017). Macroeconomics and monetary theory. Routledge.

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Econometrics of France – General overview of the economy, identifying the main aggregate demand components that drive GDP growth

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