How will equilibrium price and quantity change if both demand and supply decrease?

Supply and demand curves express relationships between price and quantity. Equilibrium exists when supply equals demand. The shape of these curves and the equilibrium price affect small and large businesses because revenues are a factor of price and quantity. Although a single business cannot affect the shape of these curves, the combined actions of businesses and consumers affect the supply and demand curves for different industries.

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When the curve shifts up, the equilibrium price may increase. Although a single business cannot affect the shape of these curves, the combined actions of businesses and consumers affect the supply and demand curves for different industries.

Supply and Demand: Basics

The supply and demand curves are plots of price on the vertical y-axis and quantity on the horizontal x-axis. The demand curve is a downward-sloping curve showing an inverse relationship between price and quantity because demand rises when prices fall and falls when prices rise. The supply curve is an upward-sloping curve showing a direct relationship between price and quantity because supply rises and falls with price.

Shifts in the Curves

The supply and demand curves assume that all other things are constant. If not, there is an upward or downward shift, meaning the whole curve moves up or down. Reasons for a demand curve shift include the availability of alternative products and changes in consumer preferences, unemployment levels and interest rates. Reasons for a supply curve shift include changes in consumer expectations and new technologies. Upward shifts in the supply and demand curves indicate decreasing supply and increasing demand, respectively, while the opposite is true for downward shifts.

The Equilibrium Price

The equilibrium price is the intersection of the supply and demand curves. Markets reach equilibrium because prices that are above and below an equilibrium price lead to surpluses and shortages, respectively. A surplus usually means that vendors will lower prices to clear out inventory, while a shortage means they will raise prices to take advantage of the higher demand. In both cases, the price will converge toward an equilibrium price, which may be higher or lower than the original equilibrium price.

Effects of Shifts in Supply and Demand

Upward shifts in the supply and demand curves affect the equilibrium price and quantity. If the supply curve shifts upward, meaning supply decreases but demand holds steady, the equilibrium price increases but the quantity falls. For example, if gasoline supplies fall, pump prices are likely to rise. If the supply curve shifts downward, meaning supply increases, the equilibrium price falls and the quantity increases. If refineries supply more gasoline, pump prices are likely to fall if there is no corresponding increase in demand.

If the demand curve shifts upward, meaning demand increases but supply holds steady, the equilibrium price and quantity both increase. For example, pump prices often rise during the summer as people drive to their summer homes for the weekend. If the demand curve shifts downward, meaning demand decreases but supply holds steady, the equilibrium price and quantity both decrease.

Demand and Supply models are very easy to use, when there is a change in either demand or supply. However, in reality, there are number of situations which lead to simultaneous changes in both demand and supply.

(I) Both Demand and Supply decrease

(II) Both Demand and Supply increase

(III) Demand decreases and Supply increases

(IV) Demand increases and Supply decreases

Let’s relate this to ridesharing businesses — Uber, Lyft, Ola — where the simultaneous shifts are seen in action. In the case of ridesharing businesses, the demand is the number of riders (Q) and the supply is the number of drivers (S).

(I) Both Demand and Supply Decrease:

Original Equilibrium is determined at point E, when the original demand curve DD and the original supply curve SS intersect each other. OQ is the equilibrium quantity and OP is the equilibrium price. The effect of decrease in both demand and supply on equilibrium price and equilibrium quantity can be better analyzed under three different cases:

Case 1: Decrease in Demand = Decrease in Supply:

When decrease in demand is proportionately equal to decrease in supply, then leftward shift in demand curve from D to D¹ is proportionately equal to leftward shift in supply curve from SS to S¹S¹ . The new equilibrium is determined at E¹ As demand and supply decrease in the same pro­portion, equilibrium price remains same at OP, but equilibrium quantity falls from OQ to OQ¹.

Impact: No change in Price for Riders. No change in Earnings for Drivers

Case 2: Decrease in Demand > Decrease in Supply:

When decrease in demand is proportionately more than decrease in supply, then leftward shift in demand curve from D to D¹ is proportionately more than leftward shift in supply curve from S to S¹. The new equilibrium is determined at E¹, equilibrium price falls from OP to OP¹ and equilibrium quantity falls from OQ to OQ¹.

Impact: Drop in Price for Riders. Drop Earnings for Drivers

Case 3: Decrease in Demand < Decrease in Supply:

When decrease in demand is proportionately less than decrease in supply, then leftward shift in demand curve from D to D¹ is proportionately less than leftward shift in supply curve from S to S¹. The new equilibrium is determined at E¹ equilibrium price rises from OP to OP¹ whereas, equilibrium quantity falls from OQ to OQ¹.

Impact: Increase in Price for Riders. Increase in Earnings for Drivers

(II) Both Demand and Supply Increase:

Original Equilibrium is determined at point E, when the original demand curve DD and the original supply curve SS intersect each other. OQ is the equilibrium quantity and OP is the equilibrium price. The effect of increase in both demand and supply on equilibrium price and equilibrium quantity is discussed under three different cases:

Case 1: Increase in Demand = Increase in Supply:

When increase in demand is proportionately equal to increase in supply, then rightward shift in demand curve from D to D1 is proportionately equal to rightward shift in supply curve from S to S¹. The new equilibrium is determined at E¹. As both demand and supply increase in the same proportion, equilibrium price remains the same at OP, but equilibrium quantity rises from OQ to OQ¹.

Impact: No change in Price for Riders. No change in Earnings for Drivers

Case 2: Increase in Demand > Increase in Supply:

When increase in demand is proportionately more than increase in supply then rightward shift in demand curve from D to D¹ is proportionately more than rightward shift in supply curve from SS to S1S1. The new equilibrium is determined at E1equilibrium price rises from OP to OP¹ and equilibrium quantity rises from OQ to OQ¹.

Impact: Increase in Price for Riders. Increase in Earnings for Drivers

Case 3: Increase in Demand < Increase in Supply:

When increase in demand is proportionately less than increase in supply, then rightward shift in demand curve from D to D¹ is proportionately less than rightward shift in supply curve from S to S¹. The new equilibrium is determined at E¹ equilibrium price falls from OP to OP¹ whereas, equilibrium quantity rises from OQ to OQ¹.

Impact: Decrease in Price for Riders. Decrease in Earnings for Drivers

(III) Demand decreases and Supply increases:

The effect of simultaneous decrease in demand and increase in supply on equilibrium price and equilibrium quantity is analyzed in the following three cases:

Case 1: Decrease in Demand = Increase in Supply:

Impact: Decrease in Price for Riders. Decrease in Earnings for Drivers

Case 2: Decrease in Demand > Increase in Supply:

Impact: Greater decrease in Price for Riders. Greater decrease in Earnings for Drivers

(IV) Demand increases and Supply decreases:

The effect of increase in demand and decrease in supply on equilibrium price and equilibrium quantity is discussed in the following three cases:

Case 1: Increase in demand = Decrease in supply:

Impact: Increase in Price for Riders. Increase in Earnings for Drivers

Case 2: Increase in Demand > Decrease in Supply:

Impact: Greater increase in Price for Riders. Greater increase in Earnings for Drivers

Case 3: Increase in Demand < Decrease in Supply:

Impact: Increase in Price for Riders. Increase in Earnings for Drivers

In this article, we just looked at the different possibilities of changes in supply and demand, and the impact on the pricing and earnings. In the next article, we look at levers such as surge pricing and incentives, which act as levers to adjust both supply and demand.

What happens to equilibrium price when supply decreases and demand increases?

An increase in supply, all other things unchanged, will cause the equilibrium price to fall; quantity demanded will increase. A decrease in supply will cause the equilibrium price to rise; quantity demanded will decrease.

What will happen to equilibrium price and quantity if both supply and demand increases both shifts right?

If the increase in both demand and supply is exactly equal, there occurs a proportionate shift in the demand and supply curve. Consequently, the equilibrium price remains the same. However, the equilibrium quantity rises. In such a case, the right shift of the demand curve is more relative to that of the supply curve.

What happens to the price and quantity when there both demand and supply increases?

It's a fundamental economic principle that when supply exceeds demand for a good or service, prices fall. When demand exceeds supply, prices tend to rise. There is an inverse relationship between the supply and prices of goods and services when demand is unchanged.

What happens to both the supply and the demand when the price changes?

The law of supply and demand combines two fundamental economic principles describing how changes in the price of a resource, commodity, or product affect its supply and demand. As the price increases, supply rises while demand declines.