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Economics glossary · Policy and the financial sector

Money multiplier

What money multiplier means in economics, with an example and a question to test yourself.

Definition
Money multiplier
The money multiplier is the number of pounds of deposits the banking system creates from each pound of reserves, and it equals one divided by the reserve requirement.
Not to be confused with: Reserve requirement
The reserve requirement is the proportion of its deposits that a bank must hold rather than lend.
Test yourself

What is the difference between money multiplier and reserve requirement?

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