The Australian Econ Clip Finder

Bring real-world Australian economics into your classroom. Browse our searchable database to help your students connect economic theory with familiar, everyday examples.

Inflation, the RBA and fiscal policy

Economic Concepts: fiscal policy, monetary policy, inflation

This 1:11 minute clip from 2023 discusses how COVID-19 era fiscal policy increased inflation in the post pandemic years, forcing the RBA to tighten it’s monetary policy (aka. lift the cash rate).

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Fractional & Full Reserve Banking

Economic Concepts: fractional reserve banking, full reserve banking, banking system, credit creation, money supply

This USA clip explains exactly what fractional and full reserve banking is and how credit is credit using clear language with some cheesy cartoon type graphics in 6:50 minutes.

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The Guardian Explains the Cash Rate

Economic Concepts: monetary policy, cash rate, interest rate, economic growth, money supply, inflation

This 2023 clip is a throwback to Phillip Lowe governing the RBA but does an excellent job of explaining what the cash rate is in under 4 minutes.

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Uncertainty killing GDP Growth

Economic Concepts: GDP growth, uncertainty, investment, fiscal policy

Uncertainty impacts investment which affects economic growth in the long run. This 1:11 minute clip explains the effect of uncertainty using President Trump as a reference point.

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Living Hand to Mouth

Economic Concepts: hand to mouth consumption, fiscal policy, market concentration

In 2026 Australian’s are more reliant than every on charitable organisations providing food. This 2:19 minute clip is a way to introduce hand to mouth consumption but it can also be used to start a conversation around fiscal policy or the effect of market concentration on prices and consumer welfare.

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Marge Simpson days are over….

Economic Concepts: permanent income hypothesis, consumption, savings, investment

This 0:25 minute clip compares the Simpson’s to current Australian household consumption noting that over 50% of household income is going towards mortgage repayments. This can be used to start a discussion on the impact on household savings, investment and the permanent income hypothesis.

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Aussies savings 60 cents

Economic Concepts: household savings, savings, investment, consumption, hand to mouth, precautionary savings

Equity mates states that for every $100 households earnt in 2025 we saved just $0.60 in total. The data sources aren’t given but this 0:35 minute clip is a quick way to introduce hand to mouth, precautionary savings and reinforce how savings are used for investment.

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Full Employment Measured by MCG’s

Economic Concepts: full employment, unemployment, inflation

In this 1:56 minute clip from 2025 the definition of full employment is explained using MCG seating capacity by Alan Kohler.

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Wheelbarrows of cash for bread!

Economic Concepts: hyperinflation

This USA 0:36 minute clip shows Zimbabwe markets with people dragging around wheelbarrows of cash to buy their daily essentials. It is a great more recent clip to illustrate exactly what hyperinflation is, and a bit easier to understand than the traditional Weimar Republic example!

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Punter’s take on inflation

Economic Concepts: inflation, market power, duopoly

Konrad from Punter’s Politics uses supermarkets to explain market power and how supermarkets in Australia have exacerbated inflation in the 1:31 minute clip.

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The Guardian Explains Inflation

Economic Concepts: inflation

Back in 2023 The Guardian put out a 6:02 minute clip to explain inflation. Does anyone remember the floods, $7 lettuces and KFC using cabbage on zinger burgers? This clip is from that era and has lots of practical Aussie examples to explain inflation.

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Australia’s Productivity Problem

Economic Concepts: Productivity, labour productivity, capital deepening, population growth, competitiveness

Alan Kohler formerly at the ABC discusses Australia’s productivity problem in 2025 in thei 2:16 minute clip. Key issues affecting productivity include high share dividends, migration and a lack of competitiveness.

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GDP Shortcomings

Economic Concepts: GDP, negative externality, environmental GDP

The 8:05 minute clip is long and a bit old but Prof. Stiglitz is an economics legend. He worked at the World Bank and explains some of the key problems with GDP. Why do we count spending on jails in GDP?

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GDP explained

Economic Concepts: GDP, gross domestic product

An informative explanatory 3:41 minute clip from The Guardian that explains the GDP elements.

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Getting Played for Gas

Economic Concepts: comparative advantage, gains from trade, subsidies,

Australia has a comparative advantage in gas production and we export it and import other goods and services. This 1:33 minute clip by Punter’s Politics discusses how subsidies from the Australian government are benefitting gas producers.

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Making a sandwich

Economic concepts: comparative advantage, absolute advantage, gains from trade

This 3:44 minute clip is American but one man records how he makes every input her uses to make a sandwich, arguably he does not have a comparative or absolute advantage in many of the steps and would make significant gains from trade!

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Price Floors in Alice Springs

Economic Concepts: Price floor, fiscal policy, regulations, negative externality

This 2:16 minute clip by ABC News discusses how a change in government policy removing an alcohol price floor may impact Alice Springs.

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Efficient & Equitable?

Economic Concepts: efficiency, equity, duopoly

This 1:25 minute clip by Punter’s Politics highlights some of the challenges facing farmers supplying the supermarket duopoly. It is more efficient to sell all your product to one organisation but is the supermarket behaviour equitable?

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Cafe culture

Economic Concepts: monopolistic competition

Tuck Shop Industries reviews cafe options for workers and rates their food. This 1:06 minute clip can be used to introduce monopolistic competition, you can compare this industrial cafe to other takeaway food options.

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Engagement rings are a scam

Economic Concepts: monopoly, inelastic demand

This 3:54 minute clip by ‘Adam Ruins Everything’ is American but an absolutely fabulous way to introduce the concept of monopoly markets to students. It can be linked to how marketing by De Beers has resulted in inelastic demand.

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Getting rich off lambs

Economic Concepts: supply curve, cost of production, perfect competition, inelastic demand

This 0:36 second clip by Tara farms talks about how drought has reduce the supply of lambs whilst demand remains inelastic. Great for leftwards shift of a supply curve and linking perfectly competitive firm production costs to the market supply shifts.

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Profit maximising easter eggs

Economic Concepts: Cost of production, profit maximisation, variable costs, shrinkflation, skimpflation

This 0:56 minute clip from SBS News from 2025 can be used to teach variable costs of production (cocoa, milk solids) but it could also be used for skimpflation or shrinkflation with the clip discussing how some producers have reduced size.

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Australia’s housing supply

Economic Concepts: supply curve, demand curve, supply curve shifts, market equilibrium, government policy, long run

This 2:27 minute clip from 2025 by ABC’s Alan Kohler discusses how factors including government policy have impacted housing supply. It is an fantastic clip to introduce how long run government policy impacts supply, demand and market equilibrium.

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When water isn’t just water

Economic Concepts: demand curve, elasticity, willingness to pay

This 2:46 minute clip from ABC’s Gruen show links marketing to people’s tastes and preferences for water. It is a great one for talking about elastic demand, willingness to pay and the demand curve.

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Egg cartels

Economic Concepts: Cartel, supply curve, competition, profit maximisation, producer surplus, consumer surplus

This 0:48 minute clip by Chris Kohler can be used to introduce the idea of cartels, competition and how it can shift consumer surplus to producer surplus and the overall impact.

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Outback Life

Economic Concepts: Negative Externality, Opportunity Cost

In this 0:59 clip actors talk about some of the highlights and lowlights of shooting a TV series in the Outback. Dust, flies, heat are all negative externalities they experienced and an opportunity cost.

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Telstra Plays Hard

Economic Concepts: Monopoly, Consumer Surplus, Producer Surplus

In this 0:19 minute clip featuring Tom Gleeson from ABC’s Hard Quiz, Tom makes fun of a quiz participant that happens to work at Telstra. This can be used to introduce how a monopoly, which Telstra has been in regional Australia can reduce consumer surplus and increase producer surplus.

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AI & Modelling

Economic Concepts: Models, Assumptions. Modelling, Results

This 2:57 minute clip by Jimmy Rees is a great one for highlighting AI’s shortcomings but also introduce economic modelling in a relatable way.

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Positive Externalities of Cat Ownership

Economic Concepts: Positive Externalities, Negative Externalities, Opportunity Cost

This 2:29 minute clip lists all the joys (?) of cat ownership and can be used to start a discussion on what is a positive or negative externality.

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Boom Crash Economics

Economic Concepts: Economic Growth, GDP, Economic Cycle

This 0:30 minute clip by Chris Kohler outlines some of the indicators used to predict when a downturn or trough in the economic cycle might be about to occur.

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Supermarket Surveillance or ‘Helping’ Consumers?

Economic Concepts: Behavioural economics, price discrimination, short run vs long run, opportunity cost

In this 1:16 minute clip by ABC’s Gruen Show they discuss how Australia supermarkets are using loyalty cards to gather consumer data for future pricing decisions. Consumers are happy to provide the data because they get a short run reward.

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Beer, Cows & Greta Thunberg

Economic Concepts: Circular Economy, Positive Externality, Sustainability

Jeremy Clarkson from “Clarkson’s Farm” shows us sustainability in this 0:55 minute clip by resuing brewers grain to create feed for his cows. This is an example of a circular economy and a positive externality from beer production.

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Back to the 1990’s

Economic Concepts: Technological progress, Production Function

This 0:29 minute American clip shows a driver selecting a CD, trying to read the paper directions and drive the car all at once! Great to introduce technological progress but could also be used to discuss production function and how capital (phones / technology) has replaced the physical labour (reading directions, storing and selecting music).

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The Simpsons take on trickledown economics

Economic Concepts: Inequality, Fiscal Policy, Wealth Redistribution, unemployment, wages

This 3:18 minute clip from the Simpson’s is a great way to discuss the long run effects of government policies on wages, employment and economic growth. Whilst focussed on America there are parallels with Australia.

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Scrolling Reels Without Headphones

Economic Concepts: Negative Externality, Opportunity Cost.

This 0:10 minute clip by NSW Transport shows a commuter expressing their frustration at a fellow passenger scrolling reels without headphones. A great short clip to break up an externalities class, or set the scene for a discussion on negative externalities.

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Shifting EV Demand

Economic Concepts: Demand Curve, opportunity cost.

This 5:09 minute clip explores how GWM is trying to shift Australian consumers demand for Chinese made EV’s.

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