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Economics research

Explore our work in resource economics and environmental policy, behavioural and experimental economics, efficiency and productivity, and monetary policy

Economics is the study of how people, businesses, societies and nations manage and allocate scarce resources such as land, labour or capital. Economics affects most areas of our lives, whether it's the availability of goods and services or governments regulating our economic activities.

Our research includes the use of mathematical models to predict how people make decisions while considering psychological, emotional and social behavioural factors and using and laboratory experiments to test our predictions. We also use econometric methods to analyse field data to understand, for example, what determines the efficiency of energy production or how the economy reacts to events such as the 2008 financial crisis, Brexit or the aftermath of the covid-19 pandemic.

We use insights from our research to suggest how governments could better regulate the use of natural resources or risk taking by banks, develop more effective monetary policies (such as interest rate changes), and legislate to influence people’s economic decisions and improve the overall economic outcome.

Explore our Economics areas of expertise

Find out more about our research into Economics. Learn more about our recent projects, the academic and industrial partners with whom we collaborate, and the major funders who fund our work.

Resource Economics and Environmental Policy

We examine how economics influences the preservation and sustainability of natural resources such as aquatic ecosystems.

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Behavioural and Experimental Economics

We investigate how psychological, emotional and social factors affect economic decision-making.

Images for behavioural economics webpage. Not for any other use as not high quality image.

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Efficiency and Productivity

Through our research in this area, we're identifying inefficiency and its causes in specific sectors.

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Monetary Policy

We explore how central banks can keep inflation low and stable by influencing how much money there is in the economy and the cost of borrowing.

Students using finance software
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Interested in a PhD in Economics?

Browse our postgraduate research degrees – including PhDs and MPhils – at our Economics postgraduate research degrees page.