Market (In)efficiency with Monopoly

Compare perfect competition and monopoly outcomes โ€” surplus, deadweight loss, and allocative efficiency

Choose Market Structure:

Price equals marginal cost; no deadweight loss; maximum total surplus Price exceeds marginal cost; deadweight loss exists; allocative inefficiency
Perfect Competition: Firms are price takers; equilibrium where P = MC maximizes total surplus.
Demand (D)
Marginal Cost (MC)
Consumer Surplus (CS)
Producer Surplus (PS)

Understanding the Graph

Perfect Competition: The market reaches equilibrium where the demand curve intersects the marginal cost curve (P = MC). The green shaded area is consumer surplus (value buyers gain above what they pay). The yellow shaded area is producer surplus (revenue sellers receive above their cost). There is no deadweight loss โ€” total surplus is at its maximum.