Young Economist of the Year 2026
sponsored by KPMG UK
The Young Economist of the Year competition 2026 is now open! We welcome submissions from students in Years 10 - 13 (or equivalent) to consider real-world economic problems.
AIM
The Royal Economic Society Young Economist of the Year competition 2026 sponsored by KPMG UK aims at encouraging Year 10 – Year 13 students (in England and Wales, or equivalent in Scotland and Northern Ireland) to produce their own ideas in analysing contemporary economic problems facing the UK and the world. Supported by FT Schools, the competition is a brilliant opportunity to engage with the dynamic and exciting world of economics!
Students can choose from a list of topics provided below. Students do not need to be studying economics to be able to enter this competition. The RES welcomes entries from any students who are interested in economic issues and would like to share original ideas or perspectives on these issues. The RES also welcomes a diverse range of contributions and insights on the competition topics.
Eligibility
To enter, you must be:
• in Years 10 to 13 in England or Wales, Years 11 to 14 in Northern Ireland, or S3 to S6 in Scotland (or equivalent)
• studying in the UK
The competition is free to enter.
You do not need to be studying economics, and you can work on your entry or with up to 4 other students.
For independent school entries we promote mixed group entries with local state schools.
Entry format
Your entry must:
• answer only 1 of these 5 questions:
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Is a country truly wealthy if it has high GDP, but its citizens are unhappy?
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Free trade creates winners and losers — is it desirable?
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Should dynamic pricing be allowed for mega events like concerts/ gigs/ festivals/ sports finals?
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Should billionaires exist in a well-functioning economy?
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How will AI affect long run economic growth in developed countries?
• be in written or media format. Written would be in blog format no longer than 1,000 words. Media includes video, podcast or presentation slides. Videos and podcasts should be no longer than 5 minutes in length.
• be an individual or group entry. Groups to be 2-5 students.
• must not include any personally identifiable information. This needs to be entered on the competition website.
• must not use applications such as ChatGPT or other forms of artificial intelligence (AI)
• you must acknowledge the use of information/material from other sources. We do not require a detailed in-text referencing of your arguments, however a list of sources that you have consulted and have substantively influenced your arguments must be included at the end of your entry. If a written entry then this is not included in the word count. View the ‘How to reference’ video for more guidance.
Frequently asked questions
Join us for an online webinar session on the 14th April at 5pm for hints, tips and the chance to ask your questions. Sign up here. If you have anything you'd like to ask in the meantime, please email abby@res.org.uk .
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Is there a time limit on podcasts/videos?
Yes - podcasts and videos should be no longer than five minutes long.
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Are there limitations on PowerPoints?
If your PowerPoint is recorded, and spoken over, it should be no longer than five minutes. If it is submitted as a PowerPoint alone, it should be no longer than eight slides, and have a maximum total word count of 1,000.
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Do I need a transcript for my podcast/video?
No, but think about how you will submit your references - will this be spoken, or as a word document?
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Do quotes contribute to the word count?
Yes.
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Can I see any exemplar materials?
We will have free lesson plans available on our TES channel for each question in the coming months. In the meantime, you can check out the written pieces from our 2025 finalists here.
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Your data
Any personal data which may be submitted in an entry will be processed by RES in accordance with any applicable data protection legislation, and RES Privacy Notice available at https://res.org.uk/resources-library/privacy-notice/
Partners
FT Schools
The Financial Times has created a hub for schools and colleges. Teachers in schools around the world with students aged 16-19 years old can get free access to the FT here and request individual FT accounts. Colleges in the UK can also sign up. You can check to see if your institution is already registered.
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Schools Digest, a weekly newsletter from global education editor Andrew Jack, features student competitions, quizzes and the best of the Financial Times' expert analysis and coverage. All FT subscribers and those on the free schools programme can subscribe here to receive it every Monday at 7am.
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Click here for more information.
What happens next?
Submit your entry here.
All entries must be submitted by 23.59 (BST) on 29 June 2026.
A panel will read and mark your entry before agreeing a final shortlist of 5 entries.
The 5 shortlisted entries will be announced in September 2026 ahead of an in-person final event to be held at KPMG offices in October 2026.
The in-person final will involve the 5 entries giving a 10 minute presentation followed by 5 minutes of questions from an expert panel before a winner is announced.
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