Difference Between Substitution Effect and Income Effect

The income and substitution effects together account for the law of demand, which states that the demand for a (normal) goodwillGoodwillIn accounting, goodwill is an intangible asset that is generated when one company purchases another company for a price that is greater than the sum of the company’s net identifiable assets at the time of acquisition. It is determined by subtracting the fair value of the company’s net identifiable assets from the total purchase price.read more goes up when its price decreases and will go down when its price increases.

What is the Substitution Effect?

  • The substitution effect states that when the price of a product decreases, then (all other things being equal), its demand will increase because consumers will prefer to buy the lower-priced product over its higher-priced substitutes.For instance, if two closely-related products (like tea and coffee) are available in the market, then the price of each of these products will impact the demand for the other.If there is a decrease in the price of tea, then consumers will prefer to buy more tea and less coffee. This is because tea is now the cheaper of the two alternatives, and the two products are quite similar and can easily be substituted for one another.In short, the substitution effect measures the change in the quantity demandedQuantity DemandedQuantity demanded is the quantity of a particular commodity at a particular price. It changes with change in price and does not rely on market equilibrium.read more of a product or service due to a change in its relative price compared to other similar products or services. Other examples include closely related goods like gel pens and ballpoint pens, butter and margarine, etc.All other factors (apart from price) need to be equal for the substitution effect to work. For instance, let’s imagine that chicken and tofu are two closely-related products available in the market. If a majority of the population is vegan or vegetarian, however, then a fall in the price of chicken will not lead to a rise in its demand.This is because vegan consumers will not shift from tofu to chicken to take advantage of the lower price. In such cases, external factors can prevent the substitution effect from working as it normally would.

What is Income Effect?

  • The income effect measures the change in the demand for a product or service due to a change in the real income of the consumer. The change in income can either be direct or indirect. An immediate change in income occurs when the consumer starts earningEarningEarnings are usually defined as the net income of the company obtained after reducing the cost of sales, operating expenses, interest, and taxes from all the sales revenue for a specific time period. In the case of an individual, it comprises wages or salaries or other payments.read more more money, for instance, due to a rise in salary or wages.An indirect change in income occurs when the consumer can buy more of a particular commodity for the same amount of money due to a fall in the price of that commodity.For instance, imagine that a consumer watches five movies in theatres every month, paying $10 for each movie ticket. As a result, he spent $50 each month on movie tickets. Now, if the price of the movie tickets were to fall to $8, the consumer would be able to watch six movies per month for $48.So, he can watch six movies per month instead of five without exceeding his usual budget. Consequently, his demand for movie tickets will rise from five to six per month. This would result from an increase in the consumer’s purchasing power caused by a fall in the price of movie tickets.

Substitution Effect vs Income Effect Infographics

You are free to use this image on you website, templates, etc., Please provide us with an attribution linkHow to Provide Attribution?Article Link to be HyperlinkedFor eg:Source: Substitution Effect vs Income Effect (wallstreetmojo.com)

Comparative Table

This has been a guide to the substitution effect vs. income effect. Here we discuss the top 4 differences between substitution effect vs. income effect along with infographics. You may also have a look at the following useful articles –

  • Substitute ProductsDeterminants of DemandComplementary Goods