16 Economics Project Ideas for High School Students

by
Dr. Ceyhun Elgin

Indigo Research Team

&
& Indigo Research Team
Published:
February 12, 2024
Last Updated:
March 25, 2024
Table of contents

Economic projects teach high school students the basic principles of economics and their practical application. Here are a few fantastic economics project ideas that will help you understand concepts related to government regulation, entrepreneurship, market competition, and scarcity. So, let’s get started. 

Top Economics Project Ideas For High School Students:

1. Small Business Economics

If you’re looking for economics project ideas that will sharpen your entrepreneurial skills, you could opt for small business economics. Understand how small businesses run in your country. 

The first step is to study market trends, you must know the needs and wants of your local community. Then learn how much money an entrepreneur needs to start and run a small business. Interviewing small business owners can help you understand how they make important decisions such as setting prices of their services and products. 

After doing this project, you’ll be able to discover different strategies that small business owners use to overcome challenges and become successful. This economic project can turn your idea into a clear road map and may become an additional source of income in the future. 

2. Inequality of Income and Wealth

Income and wealth inequality are among the biggest global issues. The economics project idea will allow you to explore causes and consequences. You’ll also be able to propose solutions to ​​social injustice. Conduct research and learn how income or wealth are distributed in your society. Analyze trends and find key factors that are involved in this issue such as education, healthcare, and housing.

You can read case studies of different countries that have overcome income and wealth inequality. Read their policies, learn lessons, and then develop policies for your community to address income and wealth inequality. Create a public awareness campaign on social media to promote social justice. 

3. Economic Policy Analysis

Policy analysis is one of the trending project topics in economics. Explore the impact of different forms of government decisions on economies. You can use SWOT analysis to examine the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats of a policy.

First of all, choose a policy such as tax reduction, a stimulus package, or a raise in the policy interest rate and then analyze it. Move on to assessing its impacts on economic factors like employment, price levels, and GDP growth rate. List down all the benefits and drawbacks of your chosen policy. Then, create your strategy by incorporating the insights gained from your assessment. This strategy should implement your chosen policy and use all the data collected in it. 

4. Labour Market Dynamics

This economics project focuses on jobs and unemployment. High school students can begin by scrutinizing the causes and the impact of unemployment. Determine whether technical progress, economic decline, or other factors contribute to unemployment. Once data is gathered, suggest solutions to address unemployment issues. The solutions should show how to keep the job market stable and showcase your understanding of the data. 

5. Sports Economics

Analyze the economic aspect of the sport you are interested in

If you are a sports lover, this would be a perfect economic project topic. Explore different sports and discover how these events play an important role in our economy. You’ll learn how tournaments promote local industry and examine the additional job opportunities for athletes, coaches, and people who sell tickets and snacks. 

Analyze the effects of the local team’s success and failure on small businesses and the overall economy. Also, discover the influence of sports on the tourism and advertising industry. 

6. Economic Forecasting

High school students can use current data to create economic forecasts. This economic project will enable you to predict how our economy will change in the future. 

Act as a detective and collect facts about the economy such as job opportunities, rates of goods, and average expenditures of a citizen. The next step is to understand the behavior of the economy by looking at previous data. Then make predictions about job openings, prices, and other stuff. This project will allow you to prepare your country for coming challenges. You can summarize your prediction in a PowerPoint presentation. 

7. Global Trade Analysis

This engaging economics project is about international trade. Start by researching the negotiating process of countries for acquiring goods. Choose any two countries, then thoroughly study the goods they trade, focusing on how it affects their economies. Look into the benefits and drawbacks of the trade conducted. After collecting all the data, you can make policy recommendations addressing the issues in international trade.

8. Gig Economy

Exploring the gig economy is an outstanding project for economics because it is full of opportunities for high school students. Unlike 9-5 jobs, work is done on a project basis so a student can build a side hustle if they truly understand the gig economy. 

First of all, collect stories on successful people doing gig jobs. You can interview freelancers, delivery boys, and online content creators. List down the pros and cons of part-time jobs. Analyze the overall impact of gigs on the local economy. Then predict how gig jobs will change in the future. 

9. Consumer Behavior Study

For this economics project, you need to pick a product, such as sneakers, smartphones, or anything else. Research the factors shaping customer purchase choices and explore advertising, branding, and social influences. Conduct surveys and analyze trends to uncover the drivers behind consumer preferences. Culminate the project by formulating actionable strategies to enhance understanding and awareness of consumer decision-making in your chosen product category, and present your findings in a detailed report or presentation.

10. Inflation Investigation

Explore the impact of inflation on purchasing power in this project for economics. Start by checking historical inflation rates and track increases in prices. Calculate the rising cost of goods over time. Then, examine how inflation affects people and the economy. 

Uncover hidden factors influencing spending habits like psychological responses and wage-price spirals. For instance, individuals might adjust their spending due to inflation fears, anticipating further price hikes. Develop a contingency plan to adjust pricing or diversify product offerings based on market conditions.

11. Game Theory Application

This project is for students who want to be strategic masterminds! It's time to apply your skills in the world of game theory. Develop a concrete plan, predict your opponent's moves, and implement your strategy. 

Explore ideas from game theory, such as the prisoner's dilemma, dominant strategies, and Nash equilibrium. You will better grasp the rationale for strategic decision-making and choose this topic for an economics research paper. Culminate your research with a comprehensive report and incorporate visuals in your PowerPoint presentation. 

12. Healthcare Economics

This project for economics looks into the impact of healthcare prices and availability on people in any country you choose. First, investigate variables like insurance and government policies for healthcare. Analyze how these factors affect people's access to and affordability of healthcare. Make a strategic plan based on your findings, outlining recommendations for improving healthcare accessibility and affordability. Recognize the direct link between human health and economic elements.

13. Behavioral/Experimental Economics

Have you ever thought about the possibility of combining psychology and economics? Behavioral Economics Experiment is one of the best economics research topics for undergraduates.

Identify the biases one may have, such as being overly focused on winning or merely observing evidence that supports current beliefs. Perform experiments involving financial decisions with biased factors.

Pick a diverse sample of people whom you can research in great detail. Focus closely on the numbers and try to find patterns with which these deceptive biases are associated. The aim is to discover the connection between one’s behavior and their financial costs. 

14. Monetary Policy

Monetary policy is one of the best economics fair project ideas that will help you stand out in class. In this project, you will analyze central banks and their monetary policies. Investigate the power of a given sovereign bank within an economy, for example, European Central Bank or Federal Reserve. You need to look at their policies about the money supply and interest rates.

Note down their impacts on employment, inflation, and economic development. Discover how governments manage the money supply. You will know the techniques governments use to maintain a stable currency and survive a thriving economy.

15. Technology and Innovation

Technology is one of the trending economic project topics that can make your high school project successful. Investigate the economic effects of technology like AI, blockchain, or EVs. Examine their impact on different sectors, employment rates, and GDP growth. Analyze trends in research investment, job creation, and economic production. Summarize findings in a straightforward presentation. Consider using a basic PowerPoint format for clarity. 

You can conduct interviews or surveys to gather insights from industry experts, adding real-world perspectives to your analysis. Add recommendations in your PowerPoint, suggesting potential policy implications. Your aim should be to help people understand how the advancement of technology influences the future economy. 

16. Housing Market Analysis

Real estate is an interesting economics topic that will sharpen your creativity. Identify the factors that determine the increase or decrease in house prices. For that, you need to know how buyers and sellers work. The trends in real estate can be identified by choosing a city or region. Collect data on demographics, interest rates, selling prices, and house demand.

Analyze the details of the market including renting and buying trends and monetary shifts’ impact. Finally, propose practical strategies to communicate your findings. 

Conclusion

Check out these cool economics project ideas. From pretending to run a market to figuring out how countries trade stuff, these projects make economics fun and easy.

If you're a high school student searching for economics research topics, consider joining the next IRIS Program. We offer an Economics course designed specifically for high school students aiming to boost their college applications with a research paper. The upcoming IRIS Program starts on July 8, 2024!

Explore the IRIS Program Now
Explore the IRIS Program Now
About the autor
Dr. Ceyhun Elgin
Dr. Ceyhun Elgin is a a faculty member at the Economics Department of Columbia University and also holds the title of a Professor of Economics at Bogazici University in Turkey. He obtained his PhD in economics at the University of Minnesota in 2010 and his research interests are in applied macroeconomics, economic growth, and political economics with a particular emphasis on the economics of the informal sector. Previously, Dr. Elgin also had visiting positions at the IMF, WB, and Boston University.
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