Cambridge O Level · 2281 · Data 2020–2025
Most-tested topics in O-Level Economics
Just 3 chapters — Government and the macroeconomy, The allocation of resources, Microeconomic decision makers — carry about 68% of all the marks. Revise those first.
Based on 48 real Cambridge past papers and 17,030 tagged marks, 2020–2025. Ranked by marks, not guesswork.
Historical counts from past papers — not an exam prediction. Download the data (CSV)
Revise these first
The topics that carry the most marks, highest first. Each opens the free past-paper questions.
- 1Practise →4.7 Employment and unemployment6% of marksGovernment and the macroeconomyEvery year
- 2Practise →5.1 Living standards5% of marksEconomic developmentEvery year
- 3Practise →2.10 Market failure5% of marksThe allocation of resourcesEvery year
- 4Practise →3.3 Workers5% of marksMicroeconomic decision makersEvery year
- 5Practise →4.3 Fiscal policy5% of marksGovernment and the macroeconomyEvery year
- 6Practise →5.3 Population4% of marksEconomic developmentEvery year
- 7Practise →4.8 Inflation and deflation4% of marksGovernment and the macroeconomyEvery year
- 8Practise →6.4 Current account of balance of payments4% of marksInternational trade and globalisationEvery year
See the full breakdown — all 39 topics across 6 chapters
Government and the macroeconomy
25% of marks- 4.7 Employment and unemploymentEvery year1010 marks · 79 qs
- 4.3 Fiscal policyEvery year790 marks · 84 qs
- 4.8 Inflation and deflationEvery year650 marks · 71 qs
- 4.1 The role of governmentEvery year540 marks · 33 qs
- 4.6 Economic growthEvery year520 marks · 54 qs
- 4.2 The macroeconomic aims of governmentEvery year370 marks · 26 qs
- 4.4 Monetary policyEvery year250 marks · 40 qs
- 4.5 Supply-side policyEvery year150 marks · 23 qs
The allocation of resources
22% of marks- 2.10 Market failureEvery year790 marks · 52 qs
- 2.3 DemandEvery year530 marks · 45 qs
- 2.5 Price determinationEvery year460 marks · 50 qs
- 2.4 SupplyEvery year400 marks · 40 qs
- 2.9 Market economic systemEvery year340 marks · 26 qs
- 2.7 Price elasticity of demand (PED)Every year330 marks · 31 qs
- 2.11 Mixed economic systemEvery year310 marks · 17 qs
- 2.6 Price changesEvery year220 marks · 17 qs
- 2.8 Price elasticity of supply (PES)Every year190 marks · 23 qs
- 2.2 The role of markets in allocating resourcesRecurring140 marks · 9 qs
- 2.1 Microeconomics and macroeconomicsEvery year80 marks · 16 qs
Microeconomic decision makers
21% of marks- 3.3 WorkersEvery year790 marks · 54 qs
- 3.5 FirmsEvery year590 marks · 32 qs
- 3.8 Market structureEvery year550 marks · 50 qs
- 3.6 Firms and productionEvery year430 marks · 42 qs
- 3.7 Firms' costs, revenue and objectivesEvery year430 marks · 64 qs
- 3.1 Money and bankingEvery year360 marks · 39 qs
- 3.2 HouseholdsEvery year270 marks · 24 qs
- 3.4 Trade unionsEvery year90 marks · 15 qs
Economic development
13% of marks- 5.1 Living standardsEvery year800 marks · 84 qs
- 5.3 PopulationEvery year700 marks · 52 qs
- 5.2 PovertyEvery year460 marks · 33 qs
- 5.4 Differences in economic development between countriesEvery year240 marks · 22 qs
International trade and globalisation
11% of marks- 6.4 Current account of balance of paymentsEvery year650 marks · 56 qs
- 6.2 Globalisation, free trade and protectionEvery year570 marks · 55 qs
- 6.3 Foreign exchange ratesEvery year430 marks · 43 qs
- 6.1 International specialisationEvery year220 marks · 26 qs
The basic economic problem
8% of marks- 1.2 The factors of productionEvery year530 marks · 36 qs
- 1.3 Opportunity costEvery year400 marks · 34 qs
- 1.4 Production possibility curve (PPC) diagramsEvery year360 marks · 38 qs
- 1.1 The nature of the economic problemRecurring90 marks · 18 qs
Turn the data into practice
Every topic above is drawn from real Cambridge O Level Economics papers, tagged to the syllabus. Students can drill the high-frequency topics in the free bank; teachers can turn any of them into a ready-to-print worksheet in seconds. Or explore the full six-year trends in the interactive records.