What is perfect competition in economics?

Economics Perfect Competition Questions Medium



80 Short 60 Medium 47 Long Answer Questions Question Index

What is perfect competition in economics?

Perfect competition is a market structure in economics where there are a large number of buyers and sellers who are all price takers. In a perfectly competitive market, there are no barriers to entry or exit, meaning that new firms can easily enter the market and existing firms can exit without any obstacles. Additionally, all firms in perfect competition produce identical products and have perfect information about prices and costs.

In a perfectly competitive market, no single buyer or seller has the power to influence the market price. Instead, the market price is determined solely by the forces of supply and demand. Firms in perfect competition are price takers, meaning they have no control over the price and must accept the prevailing market price.

Perfect competition is characterized by the absence of market power, meaning that no individual firm can influence the market price or quantity. This leads to efficient allocation of resources as firms are forced to produce at the lowest possible cost in order to remain competitive. In the long run, firms in perfect competition earn normal profits, where total revenue equals total cost.

Overall, perfect competition is considered an idealized market structure that promotes efficiency, consumer welfare, and allocative efficiency. However, it is important to note that perfect competition is rarely found in real-world markets, as most markets have some degree of imperfections such as barriers to entry, product differentiation, and market power.