Chapter

Consumidores, Productores, y
la eficiencia de los mercados
 Excedente del consumidor
Economa del bienestar: estudio de la influencia de la
asignacin de los recursos en el bienestar econmico.
Disposicin a pagar: Cantidad mxima que pagar un
comprador por un bien.
Excedente del consumidor: disposicin a pagar de un
comprador menos la cantidad que paga realmente.
El rea situada debajo de la curva de demanda y encima
del precio mide el excedente del consumidor en un
mercado.
Mide el beneficio que obtienen los compradores de un bien
tal como lo perciben ellos.

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Table 1
Four possible buyers willingness to pay

Buyer Willingness to pay

John $100
Paul 80
George 70
Ringo 50

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Figure 1
The demand schedule

Quantity
Price Buyers Demanded
More than $100 None 0
$80 to $100 John 1
$70 to $80 John, Paul 2
$50 to $70 John, Paul, George 3
$50 or less John, Paul, George, 4
Ringo

The table shows the demand schedule for the buyers in Table 1.

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Figure 1
The demand curve
Price of
Albums
Johns willingness to pay
$100 Pauls willingness to pay

80 Georges willingness to pay

70

Ringos willingness to pay

50

Demand

0 1 2 3 4
Quantity of Albums

The graph shows the corresponding demand curve. Note that the
height of the demand curve reflects buyers willingness to pay 5
 Figure 2
Measuring consumer surplus with the demand
curve (a) Price = $80 (b) Price = $70
Price of Price of
Albums Albums
Johns consumer
Johns consumer surplus ($30)
$100 surplus ($20)
$100
Pauls consumer
80 80 surplus ($10)
70 70

50 50
Total consumer
surplus ($40)

Demand Demand

0 1 2 3 4 0 1 2 3 4
Quantity of Albums Quantity of Albums

In panel (a), the price of the good is $80, and the consumer surplus is $20. In
panel (b), the price of the good is $70, and the consumer surplus is $40. 6
 Figure 3
How the price affects consumer surplus
(a) Consumer surplus at price P1 (b) Consumer surplus at price P2
Price Price

A A

Additional consumer
surplus to initial
Initial consumers
Consumer consumer
surplus C surplus C
P1 Consumer surplus
P1 to new consumers
B B
F
P2
Demand D E Demand

0 Q1 Quantity 0 Q1 Q2 Quantity
In panel (a), the price is P1, the quantity demanded is Q1, and consumer surplus equals the area of
the triangle ABC. When the price falls from P1 to P2, as in panel (b), the quantity demanded rises
from Q1 to Q2, and the consumer surplus rises to the area of the triangle ADF. The increase in
consumer surplus (area BCFD) occurs in part because existing consumers now pay less (area
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BCED) and in part because new consumers enter the market at the lower price (area CEF).
 Excedente del productor
Cantidad que percibe un vendedor por un
bien menos el coste de producirlo.
Mide el beneficio que obtienen los
vendedores por participar en un mercado.
El rea situada debajo del precio y encima
de la curva de la oferta mide el excedente
del productor en un mercado.

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Table 2
The costs of four possible sellers

Seller Willingness to pay

Mary $900
Frida 800
Georgia 600
Grandma 500

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Figure 4
The supply schedule

Quantity
Price Sellers Supplied
$900 or more Mary, Frida, Georgia, 4
$800 to $900 Grandma 3
$600 to $800 Frida, Georgia, Grandma 2
$500 to $600 Georgia, Grandma 1
Less than $500 Grandma 0
None

The table shows the supply schedule for the sellers in Table 2.

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Figure 4
The supply curve
Price of
House Supply
Painting

$900 Marys cost

800
Fridas cost

600 Georgias cost

500
Grandmas cost

0 1 2 3 4
Quantity of Houses Painted

The graph shows the corresponding supply curve. Note that the
height of the supply curve reflects sellers costs. 11
 Figure 5
Measuring producer surplus with the supply
curve (a) Price = $600 (b) Price = $800
Price of Price of
House Supply House Supply
Painting Painting Total producer
surplus ($500)
$900 $900
800 800

600 600
500 Grandmas producer 500 Georgias producer
surplus ($100) surplus ($200)

Grandmas producer
surplus ($300)

0 1 2 3 4 0 1 2 3 4
Quantity of Houses Painted Quantity of Houses Painted

In panel (a), the price of the good is $600, and the producer surplus is $100. In
panel (b), the price of the good is $800, and the producer surplus is $500. 12
 Figure 6
How the price affects producer surplus
(a) Producer surplus at price P1 (b) Producer surplus at price P2
Price Price
Supply Additional producer Supply
surplus to initial
producers

D E F
P2

Producer surplus
B B to new producers
P1 P1
C Initial
C
Producer
surplus consumer
surplus

A A
0 Q1 Quantity 0 Q1 Q2 Quantity
In panel (a), the price is P1, the quantity supplied is Q1, and producer surplus equals the area of the
triangle ABC. When the price rises from P1 to P2, as in panel (b), the quantity supplied rises from Q1
to Q2, and the producer surplus rises to the area of the triangle ADF. The increase in producer
surplus (area BCFD) occurs in part because existing producers now receive more(area BCED) and
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in part because new producers enter the market at the higher price (area CEF).
 Eficiencia de Mercado

Bienestar econmico de una

sociedad
Excedente total = Suma del
excedente del consumidor y
productor

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 Eficiencia de mercado
Eficiencia:propiedad de una asignacin
de los recursos segn la cual sta maximiza
el excedente total que reciben todos los
miembros de la sociedad.
Equidad: justicia de la distribucin del
bienestar entre los miembros de la
sociedad.

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 Eficiencia de mercado
Los libres mercados asignan la oferta de
bienes a los compradores que les conceden
ms valor, representado por su disposicin
a pagar.
Los libres mercados asignan la demanda de
bienes a los vendedores que los pueden
producir con el menor coste.
Los libres mercados producen la cantidad
de bienes que maximiza la suma del
excedente del consumidor y del productor.
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Figure 7
Consumer and producer surplus in the market
equilibrium
Price
A Supply

D
Consumer
surplus
Equilibrium E
price
Producer
surplus

Demand
C
0 Equilibrium Quantity
quantity
Total surplusthe sum of consumer and producer surplusis the area
between the supply and demand curves up to the equilibrium quantity
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