The IB Economics IA is a portfolio of three commentaries, each analysing a recent news article with economic theory. The hardest part is usually finding the right article. Below are 30 commentary ideas by unit, each paired with a diagram and a key concept that fit it.
How the IA works
Three commentaries, each based on a different published news article.
Three units: one commentary each on microeconomics, macroeconomics, and the global economy. The introductory unit does not count.
Three key concepts: a different one in each commentary, chosen from scarcity, choice, efficiency, equity, economic well-being, sustainability, change, interdependence, and intervention.
Three sources: each article from a different news outlet, published recently enough to meet the IB's date rule.
800 words maximum per commentary. Diagrams do not count toward the limit.
Your teacher will confirm the exact rules, cover sheet, and deadlines for your session.
Microeconomics commentary ideas
A government adds or raises a sugar tax. Diagram: indirect tax, negative externality of consumption. Key concept: intervention.
A city introduces or extends rent control. Diagram: price ceiling. Key concept: equity.
Egg or coffee prices jump after a supply shock. Diagram: supply shift, price elasticity of demand. Key concept: scarcity.
A minimum wage increase is announced. Diagram: price floor in the labour market. Key concept: equity.
A country subsidises electric vehicles. Diagram: subsidy, positive externality. Key concept: sustainability.
A plastic bag ban or levy takes effect. Diagram: negative externality of consumption. Key concept: sustainability.
Two large firms announce a merger. Diagram: monopoly or oligopoly. Key concept: efficiency.
A government sets a price cap on energy bills. Diagram: price ceiling. Key concept: intervention.
Farmers protest a cut to agricultural subsidies. Diagram: subsidy removal. Key concept: choice.
A congestion charge is introduced in a city. Diagram: negative externality. Key concept: economic well-being.
Macroeconomics commentary ideas
A central bank raises or cuts interest rates. Diagram: AD-AS, monetary policy. Key concept: intervention.
Inflation rises after an energy price shock. Diagram: cost-push inflation (SRAS shift). Key concept: change.
Unemployment rises in a slowing economy. Diagram: AD-AS, recessionary gap. Key concept: economic well-being.
A government announces a stimulus package. Diagram: AD shift, multiplier. Key concept: intervention.
A budget includes spending cuts to reduce debt. Diagram: contractionary fiscal policy. Key concept: choice.
A country invests in infrastructure to raise growth. Diagram: LRAS shift. Key concept: change.
Youth unemployment remains high despite growth. Diagram: structural unemployment. Key concept: equity.
A government raises income tax on high earners. Diagram: Lorenz curve, progressive tax. Key concept: equity.
Deflation or very low inflation worries policymakers. Diagram: AD-AS, deflationary gap. Key concept: scarcity.
A country raises its fuel subsidy budget. Diagram: fiscal policy trade-offs. Key concept: choice.
Global economy commentary ideas
A country imposes tariffs on imported steel or cars. Diagram: tariff. Key concept: interdependence.
A currency falls sharply against the US dollar. Diagram: exchange rate depreciation. Key concept: change.
A central bank intervenes to support its currency. Diagram: managed exchange rate. Key concept: intervention.
A trade agreement is signed or collapses. Diagram: free trade gains, trade creation. Key concept: interdependence.
A government sets an import quota. Diagram: quota. Key concept: intervention.
A developing country receives a large IMF loan. Diagram: development finance, AD effects. Key concept: economic well-being.
Remittances to a country hit a record high. Diagram: current account, development. Key concept: interdependence.
A country restricts exports of a key commodity. Diagram: export restriction, world price. Key concept: scarcity.
Foreign direct investment flows into a new factory. Diagram: FDI and development. Key concept: sustainability.
A country's current account deficit widens. Diagram: balance of payments. Key concept: change.
How to choose the best article
Start with the diagram. Pick articles where one clear diagram explains what is happening.
Check for evidence. The article should include figures you can use: a tax rate, a price change, an interest rate decision.
Look for a decision. Articles about a policy or a firm's choice give you something to evaluate.
Avoid opinion pieces. News reports give you facts to analyse. Opinion pieces have already done the analysis.
Plan all three together. Map units, key concepts, and outlets before you write, so you do not repeat any of them.
Common mistakes
Summarising the article for 300 words before any economics appears.
Naming the key concept in the introduction and never using it again.
Diagrams that are generic rather than labelled for the article's situation.
Evaluation that lists stakeholders without weighing them.
Reusing a key concept or a news outlet across commentaries.
Articles that are too old for the IB's date rule.
How long is each Economics IA commentary?
Each commentary has an 800-word maximum, and examiners stop reading at the limit. Diagrams are excluded, so use them to carry analysis without spending words.
Can I use the same key concept twice?
No. Each commentary must use a different key concept, so the portfolio covers three of the nine.
Where to find good IA articles
Use established news outlets with strong economics coverage, such as Reuters, the BBC, the Financial Times, The Economist, Bloomberg, or a major national newspaper in your country. Check your school's access to paywalled sources.
Planning checklist
Three articles from three different outlets
One micro, one macro, one global economy
Three different key concepts
Each article within the IB's date rule
One clear, labelled diagram per commentary
Each commentary under 800 words
Enjoying applied economics more than the coursework? The IA must be your own work. If you want to go further with a separate, longer finance research project, GRF's Research Desk is a six-week, finance-only cohort with written mentor feedback on every draft. Apply to the Research Desk
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