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Economics glossary · The macroeconomy

Circular flow of income

What circular flow of income means in economics, with an example and a question to test yourself.

Definition
Circular flow of income
The circular flow of income is a model of the economy in which households sell labour and other resources to firms and spend the income on firms' output.
Not to be confused with: Leakage
A leakage is any part of income that is saved, paid in taxes or spent on imports rather than on domestic output.
Test yourself

What is the difference between circular flow of income and leakage?

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