INCOME ELASTICITY OF DEMAND

Measures the relationship between a product or service change and real income change, assuming all other factors remain the same. This economics term pertains to the sensitivity of the quantity demanded for a particular product in response to a change in consumers’ incomes. Computed as:

Income Elasticity of Demand = % change in quantity demanded / % change in income

The extent to which the quantity demanded for a product or service changes in response to an income change depends on whether a good or a service is a necessity or luxury.