Ib Economics Hl Formula Booklet May 2026
If you are in the first cohort of the new syllabus (first exams 2025), note the following changes to the formula booklet:
Download the actual IB Economics HL formula booklet from your school’s IB resources or the IB Programme Resource Centre. It has the exact layout you’ll see in the exam — usually 2–3 pages.
Past papers tip: Paper 3 (HL) often reuses the same formula structure (tax, subsidy, demand/supply linear equations). Practice with the booklet open. ib economics hl formula booklet
PED is always negative (law of demand). The booklet doesn't force you to write the negative sign, but examiners want it. If you forget the minus, you get a "method" mark but lose the "accuracy" mark. Solution: Write $-2.5$, not $2.5$.
If you are currently navigating the demanding waters of the IB Diploma Programme (IBDP) , specifically Higher Level (HL) Economics, you have likely heard a rumor: “Economics isn’t about math; it’s about theory.” This is only half true. While the core of Economics is qualitative analysis, the IB Economics HL examination requires a sharp quantitative edge. If you are in the first cohort of
Enter the IB Economics HL Formula Booklet. Officially titled the "Economics formula booklet for use during the course and in the examinations," this document is your best friend and most critical tool for the Paper 3 component (Quantitative Paper). But knowing it exists isn't enough. You must master it.
In this article, we will deconstruct every formula, explain its application, reveal common traps, and show you how to use the booklet to guarantee those final marks on the road to a Level 7. Download the actual IB Economics HL formula booklet
| Concept | Formula |
|---------|---------|
| PED | (%ΔQd) / (%ΔP) |
| YED | (%ΔQd) / (%ΔY) |
| XED | (%ΔQd good A) / (%ΔP good B) |
| PES | (%ΔQs) / (%ΔP) |
| Tax revenue | Tax per unit × Quantity after tax |
| Consumer surplus (CS) | ½ × (max price − equilibrium price) × equilibrium Q |
| Producer surplus (PS) | ½ × (equilibrium price − min price) × equilibrium Q |
| Price floor/ceiling effects | Shortage/Surplus calculations (using linear demand/supply) |
The IB Economics HL Formula Booklet (officially the Economics formula sheet) is provided during Paper 2 (Quantitative) and Paper 3 (HL only).
⚠️ The booklet contains no theory, no definitions, no diagrams — only formulas, multipliers, and some tax/Math rules.
