📚 CIE IGCSE Economics Key Terms Quick Revision Guide | CIE IGCSE 经济关键术语速记指南
Mastering key terms is the backbone of success in CIE IGCSE Economics. This guide presents essential vocabulary across all syllabus topics, pairing each English term directly with its Chinese translation and concise definition to help you memorise, recall, and apply economic language with confidence.
掌握关键术语是 CIE IGCSE 经济学取得成功的基石。本指南覆盖了考纲所有主题的核心词汇，将每个英文术语直接与其对应的中文翻译及简明定义配对，帮助你轻松记忆、快速回想并自信运用经济学语言。
1. Basic Economic Problem | 基本经济问题
Scarcity – the fundamental economic problem that arises because resources are limited while human wants are unlimited.
稀缺性——由于资源有限而人类欲望无限所产生的基本经济问题。
Choice – the decision to allocate scarce resources among alternative uses; every choice involves an opportunity cost.
选择——在多种用途之间分配稀缺资源的决策；每一个选择都含有机会成本。
Opportunity cost – the next best alternative forgone when an economic decision is made.
机会成本——做出经济决策时所放弃的下一个最佳替代选择。
Factors of production – the inputs used to produce goods and services: land (natural resources), labour (human effort), capital (man-made goods used in production), and enterprise (the risk-taking ability to organise the other three factors).
生产要素——用于生产商品和服务的投入品：土地（自然资源）、劳动力（人力付出）、资本（生产中使用的人造物品）以及企业家才能（组织其他三种要素的风险承担能力）。
Production possibility curve (PPC) – a curve showing the maximum possible output combinations of two goods or services an economy can achieve when all resources are fully and efficiently employed. Points inside the PPC indicate inefficient use of resources; movements along the curve illustrate opportunity cost.
生产可能性曲线 (PPC)——表示在资源被完全且有效利用时，一个经济体能达到的两种商品或服务的最大产出组合的曲线。曲线内部的点代表资源利用无效率；沿曲线移动则说明机会成本。
2. Demand and Supply | 需求与供给
Demand – the quantity of a good or service that consumers are willing and able to buy at a given price over a specific period of time.
需求——在一定时期内，消费者在某一给定价格下愿意并且能够购买的商品或服务数量。
Supply – the quantity of a good or service that producers are willing and able to offer for sale at a given price over a specific period.
供给——在一定时期内，生产者在某一给定价格下愿意并且能够提供出售的商品或服务数量。
Market equilibrium – the price at which quantity demanded equals quantity supplied, resulting in no tendency for further change (equilibrium price and quantity).
市场均衡——需求量等于供给量时的价格，此时市场不存在进一步变动的趋势（均衡价格和均衡数量）。
Ceteris paribus – a Latin phrase meaning 'all other things being equal'; used to isolate the effect of one variable change.
其他条件不变——一个拉丁短语，意为“其他条件相同”；用于隔离单一变量变化产生的影响。
Shift in demand/supply – a change in a non-price determinant (e.g., income, tastes) causing the entire curve to move left or right. A movement along the curve is caused solely by a change in the good's own price.
需求/供给的移动——由非价格决定因素（如收入、偏好）引起的变化，导致整条曲线向左或向右平移。沿曲线移动仅由商品自身价格的变化引起。
3. Elasticity | 弹性
Price elasticity of demand (PED) – measures the responsiveness of quantity demanded to a change in price.
需求价格弹性 (PED)——衡量需求量对价格变动的反应程度。
PED = % change in quantity demanded / % change in price
PED = 需求量的变化百分比 / 价格的变化百分比
unitary elastic. Factors affecting PED include the number of substitutes, whether the good is a necessity or luxury, and the proportion of income spent.
当 PED > 1 时，需求富有弹性；PED < 1 时，需求缺乏弹性；PED = 1 时则为单位弹性。影响 PED 的因素包括替代品的数量、商品是必需品还是奢侈品，以及支出占收入的比例。
Price elasticity of supply (PES) – measures the responsiveness of quantity supplied to a change in price. PES is often influenced by the time period (supply is more elastic in the long run), the availability of spare capacity, and the mobility of factors of production.
供给价格弹性 (PES)——衡量供给量对价格变动的反应程度。PES 通常受时间长度（长期内供给更具弹性）、闲置产能的可得性以及生产要素流动性等因素的影响。
Income elasticity of demand (YED) – measures the responsiveness of demand to a change in income. A positive YED indicates a normal good; a YED greater than 1 suggests a luxury good, while a negative YED indicates an inferior good.
需求收入弹性 (YED)——衡量需求对收入变动的反应程度。YED 为正表示正常品；YED 大于 1 表明是奢侈品，而 YED 为负则表示劣质品。
Cross-price elasticity of demand (XED) – measures the responsiveness of demand for one good to a change in the price of another. A positive XED indicates substitute goods; a negative XED indicates complements.
需求交叉价格弹性 (XED)——衡量一种商品的需求对另一种商品价格变动的反应程度。XED 为正说明为替代品；XED 为负则说明为互补品。
4. Market Failure | 市场失灵
Market failure – a situation where the free market fails to allocate resources efficiently, leading to a net social welfare loss.
市场失灵——自由市场未能有效配置资源，从而导致社会净福利遭受损失的情形。
Externality – a cost or benefit that affects a third party not directly involved in the production or consumption of a good or service. Negative externalities (e.g., pollution) cause overproduction; positive externalities (e.g., education) cause underproduction.
外部性——影响到未直接参与商品或服务生产与消费的第三方的一种成本或收益。负外部性（如污染）导致生产过度；正外部性（如教育）导致生产不足。
Public good – a good that is non-rival (consumption by one person does not reduce availability for others) and non-excludable (it is not possible to prevent non-payers from benefiting), e.g., street lighting. Because of the free-rider problem, public goods are often provided by the government.
公共品——具有非竞争性（一人消费不会减少他人可用量）和非排他性（无法阻止未付费者受益）的商品，如路灯。由于搭便车问题，公共品通常由政府提供。
Merit good – a good that is under-consumed if left to market forces, often because consumers underestimate its benefits; they generate positive externalities, e.g., education and healthcare.
功德品/优效品——如果任由市场力量支配，会被过度消费不足的商品，常因消费者低估其益处所致；它们会产生正外部性，如教育和医疗保健。
Demerit good – a good that is over-consumed in a free market because consumers ignore the negative effects on themselves and society; they generate negative externalities, e.g., cigarettes and alcohol.
劣效品——在自由市场中被过度消费的商品，因为消费者忽视了其对自身和社会的负面影响；它们会产生负外部性，如香烟和酒精。
Government intervention – actions taken by the government to correct market failure, including indirect taxation, subsidies, price controls, regulation, and direct state provision.
政府干预——政府为纠正市场失灵而采取的行动，包括征收间接税、提供补贴、价格管制、监管以及直接由国家提供产品。
5. Firms and Production | 企业与生产
Fixed costs – costs that do not change with the level of output, such as rent. Variable costs vary directly with output, such as raw materials. Total cost (TC) = Fixed cost (FC) + Variable cost (VC).
固定成本——不随产量水平变化的成本，如租金。可变成本随产量直接变动，如原材料。总成本 (TC) = 固定成本 (FC) + 可变成本 (VC)。
Average cost – total cost divided by the quantity of output. When average cost falls as output rises, a firm enjoys economies of scale.
平均成本——总成本除以产量。当平均成本随产量上升而下降时，企业享有规模经济。
Economies of scale – cost advantages reaped by firms as they increase their scale of production (e.g., bulk buying, technical, financial, and managerial economies). Diseconomies of scale occur when a firm grows so large that average costs begin to rise, due to communication problems or inefficiency.
规模经济——企业扩大生产规模时获得的成本优势（如批量采购、技术、财务和管理经济）。规模不经济发生在企业规模过大导致平均成本开始上升时，原因包括沟通问题或效率低下。
Revenue – Total revenue (TR) = price × quantity sold. Profit = total revenue – total cost.
收益——总收益 (TR) = 价格 × 销售量。利润 = 总收益 – 总成本。
Perfect competition – a market structure with many buyers and sellers, identical products, no barriers to entry or exit, and perfect knowledge. Firms are price takers.
完全竞争——一种市场结构，有众多买卖者、同质化产品、不存在进入与退出壁垒，且信息完全。企业是价格接受者。
Monopoly – a market structure where a single firm dominates the market, there are high barriers to entry, and the firm has significant price-setting power (price maker).
垄断——单一企业主导市场、进入壁垒很高且企业拥有显著定价能力（价格制定者）的市场结构。
6. Macroeconomic Objectives | 宏观经济目标
Economic growth – an increase in the real output of goods and services in an economy over time, typically measured by the rate of growth of real GDP. Sustainable growth avoids inflationary pressures and environmental harm.
经济增长——经济体中商品和服务的实际产出在一段时间内的增长，通常用实际 GDP 增长率衡量。可持续增长避免了通胀压力和环境的破坏。
Inflation – a sustained increase in the general price level of goods and services, often measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI). High inflation erodes purchasing power and savings.
通货膨胀——商品和服务总体价格水平的持续上升，通常用消费者物价指数 (CPI) 衡量。高通胀会侵蚀购买力和储蓄。
Unemployment – the situation when individuals who are willing and able to work cannot find a job despite actively seeking employment. The unemployment rate is the percentage of the labour force that is unemployed.
失业——愿意并且有能力工作但却找不到工作的个人所处的状态。失业率是劳动力中失业人数所占的百分比。
Balance of payments stability – a desired situation where a country’s current account of the balance of payments is not in persistent, large deficit or surplus. A chronic deficit can lead to external debt and exchange rate depreciation.
国际收支稳定——一个理想的状况，即一国国际收支经常账户不处于持续性的大规模逆差或顺差状态。长期逆差可能导致外债积累和汇率贬值。
Possible policy trade-offs – governments often face conflicts between objectives, e.g., rapid economic growth may cause inflation, or reducing unemployment may worsen the current account balance.
可能的政策取舍——政府时常面临目标之间的冲突，例如，快速经济增长可能引发通货膨胀，或降低失业率可能使经常账户失衡恶化。
7. Fiscal and Monetary Policy | 财政与货币政策
Fiscal policy – the use of government spending and taxation to influence the level of aggregate demand and achieve macroeconomic objectives. Expansionary fiscal policy increases spending or cuts taxes; contractionary fiscal policy does the opposite.
财政政策——运用政府支出和税收来影响总需求水平并实现宏观经济目标。扩张性财政政策增加支出或减税；紧缩性财政政策则相反。
Monetary policy – actions by the central bank to manage the money supply, interest rates, or the exchange rate in order to influence aggregate demand. Lower interest rates tend to stimulate borrowing and spending.
货币政策——中央银行通过管理货币供给、利率或汇率以影响总需求的措施。降低利率通常会刺激借贷与支出。
Interest rate – the cost of borrowing money or the reward for saving. It is a key tool of monetary policy; changes in the interest rate affect consumption and investment.
利率——借贷资金的成本或储蓄的回报。它是货币政策的关键工具；利率变动影响消费和投资。
Supply-side policies – measures designed to increase the productive capacity of the economy and shift the long-run aggregate supply curve to the right, e.g., investment in education and training, privatisation, deregulation, and tax reforms aimed at incentivising work.
供给侧政策——旨在提高经济体的生产能力、使长期总供给曲线向右移动的措施，如投资于教育和培训、私有化、放松监管以及旨在激励工作的税收改革。
8. International Trade | 国际贸易
Comparative advantage – the ability of a country to produce a particular good at a lower opportunity cost than another country. Trade based on comparative advantage allows countries to specialise and gain from trade.
比较优势——一国以低于另一国的机会成本生产某一特定商品的能力。基于比较优势的贸易使各国能够专业化并从贸易中获益。
Absolute advantage – the ability of a country to produce more of a good with the same quantity of resources or to produce a good at a lower absolute cost per unit.
绝对优势——一国用同等数量的资源能生产更多的商品，或以更低的单位绝对成本进行生产的能力。
Free trade – international trade without any restrictions such as tariffs, quotas, or regulations. Benefits include lower prices for consumers, greater variety, and increased efficiency through competition.
自由贸易——不存在任何关税、配额或监管等限制的国际贸易。好处包括消费者享受更低价格、更多品种，以及竞争带来的效率提升。
Protectionism – the use of trade barriers to protect domestic industries from foreign competition. A tariff is a tax on imports (raises price, reduces quantity imported); a quota is a physical limit on the quantity of a good that can be imported.
保护主义——利用贸易壁垒保护国内产业免受外国竞争。关税是对进口商品征收的税（提高价格、减少进口量）；配额是对可进口商品的物理数量限制。
Trade bloc – a group of countries that form an agreement to reduce trade barriers between themselves. Examples include free trade areas (e.g., NAFTA) and customs unions (e.g., EU single market).
贸易集团——一组国家之间达成协议，彼此降低贸易壁垒。例如，自由贸易区（如北美自贸协定）和关税同盟（如欧盟单一市场）。
9. Development Economics | 发展经济学
Economic development – a broader concept than economic growth; it involves improvements in living standards, reduction in poverty, better health and education, and greater economic freedom. It is often measured by the Human Development Index (HDI).
经济发展——比经济增长更宽泛的概念；涉及生活水平的提升、贫困的减少、健康与教育的改善以及更大的经济自由。通常用人类发展指数 (HDI) 衡量。
GDP per capita – the total value of goods and services produced in a country in a year divided by the population. It provides an average income measure but ignores distribution.
人均 GDP——一国一年内生产的商品与服务的总值除以人口数。它提供了一个平均收入指标，但忽略了收入分配。
Human Development Index (HDI) – a composite index combining life expectancy at birth, mean and expected years of schooling, and gross national income per capita to rank countries’ levels of human development.
人类发展指数 (HDI)——一个结合了出生时预期寿命、平均与预期受教育年限以及人均国民总收入的综合指数，用以对国家的人类发展水平进行排名。
Poverty cycle – a self-reinforcing mechanism where low income leads to low savings, which results in low investment and low capital accumulation, causing low productivity, which feeds back into low income. Breaking this cycle often requires external intervention such as aid or investment.
贫困恶性循环——一种自我强化的机制：低收入导致低储蓄，低储蓄造成低投资与低资本积累，导致低生产率，又反馈为低收入。打破这一循环往往需要外资援助或投资等外部干预。
Foreign aid – the transfer of goods, services, or funds from one country to another with the aim of supporting economic development and welfare. It can be bilateral, multilateral, or through NGOs.
对外援助——一国向另一国转移商品、服务或资金，以支持其经济发展与福利。它可以是双边的、多边的或通过非政府组织进行。
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