The demand for which one of the following commodities will be almost p

The demand for which one of the following commodities will be almost perfectly inelastic ?

Gold
Cars
Dining out
Basic food grains
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UPSC Combined Section Officer – 2024
Perfectly inelastic demand means the quantity demanded does not change at all when the price changes. Demand for basic necessities, especially staple food grains, tends to be highly inelastic because people need them for survival regardless of the price, particularly for low-income households where these form a significant portion of consumption. While demand is rarely perfectly inelastic in reality, basic food grains are the best example among the given options of a commodity with very low price elasticity of demand. Gold, cars, and dining out are generally considered luxury or discretionary items with relatively elastic demand.
– Elasticity of demand measures the responsiveness of quantity demanded to price changes.
– Inelastic demand: Quantity demanded changes little with price changes.
– Perfectly inelastic demand: Quantity demanded does not change with price changes (vertical demand curve).
– Necessities tend to have more inelastic demand than luxuries.
Examples of goods with highly inelastic demand include life-saving medicines, essential basic food items, and addictive substances (though the latter has ethical implications).
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