Importance of Income Elasticity
If a country is experiencing economic growth, the income of the people will increase. However, for those engaged in the production of goods with negative income elasticities, this will mean a declining demand for their product. Even products with positive income elasticities, there is a great variability of response.
Income elasticity therefore has a most important effect upon resource allocation. As such, prosperous areas of any economy are often those associated with products which have a high income elasticity. In recession the opposite will be true.