MIDPOINT ELASTICITY FORMULA:

A simple technique for calculating the coefficient of elasticity by estimating the average elasticity for
discrete changes in two variables. The distinguishing characteristic of this formula is that percentage
changes are calculated based on the average of the initial and ending values of each variable, rather
than initial values. An alternative technique is the endpoint elasticity formula.
The midpoint elasticity formula is a common method of calculating elasticity, especially the price
elasticity of demand, price elasticity of supply, income elasticity of demand, and cross
elasticity of demand. This formula is most often used at the introductory level of economic
instruction.
The Formula
The midpoint elasticity formula for calculating the response of changes in B to changes in A is given
as:
midpoint
elasticity
=
(B2 - B1)

(B2 + B1)/2

(A2 - A1)

(A2 + A1)/2
The first term on the right-hand side of the equation is the percentage change in variable B. The
second term is the percentage change in variable A. The individual items are interpreted as this: A1 is
the initial value of A before any changes, A2 is the ending value after A changes, B1 is the initial value
of B before any changes, and B2 is the ending value after B changes.
The numerator of each term on the right-hand side of the equation [(A2 - A1) and (B2 -
B1)] is the discrete change in A and B, respectively. The denominator of each term [(A2 +
A1)/2 and (B2 + B1)/2] is the base value from which the percentage change is calculated.
A Special Percentage
These base values and the resulting percentage changes are unlike traditional methods of calculating
percentage changes. For example, under traditional methods a price that rises from $10 to $12 is a 20
percent increase. This is calculated as the discrete change in price of $2 (= $12 - $10), divided by the
initial value of $10. However, using the midpoint approach, the discrete change is still $2 (= $12 -
$10), but instead of using the initial value of $10, the base value is the average of $10 and $12, that
is $11 [= ($10 + $12)/2]. This approach results in percentage change of 18.18 percent.
While this seems like another example of making a simple task excessively complicated,
such is not the case. This is actually intended to generate identical elasticity calculations
over a given segment of a curve, whether the variables increase or decrease. This is
particularly important for thedemand curve and the price elasticity of demand.





An Simple Example

The time has come for a numerical example to illustrate
the midpoint elasticity formula. The demand curve to the
right will help. Suppose the demand price of Wacky Willy
Stuffed Amigos (those cute and cuddly armadillos and
tarantulas) INCREASES from $10 to $12. This price
increase causes the quantity demanded to decrease from
5 to 4 Stuffed Amigos. Using a simple, traditional
percentage change method of calculation, the price
increases by 20 percent, a $2 increase from an $10 initial
price. This simple method also results in a 20 percent
decrease in the quantity demanded, a decline of 1 Stuffed
Amigo from an initial value of 5. This seems relatively
simple and straightforward. The price elasticity of demand
is thus equal to 1.
Or is it?
What is the coefficient of elasticity for this same
range of the demand curve, if the price DECREASES
from $12 to $10 causing the quantity demanded to
increase from 4 to 5? In this case, the change in
price is 16.7 percent, a $2 decrease from an $12
initial price, and the change in quantity is 25, an
increase of 1 Stuffed Amigo from an initial value of
4. This results in a coefficient of elasticity of 1.5.
Over the same segment of the demand curve, a price INCREASE indicates a different
coefficient of elasticity than does a price DECREASE. This can become confusing, which is
where the midpoint formula comes into play.
Using the Midpoint Formula
Using the midpoint formula, a price increase from $10 to $12 gives a change of 18.18 percent, a $2
increase from a midpoint base of $11 [= ($12 + $10)/2]. This is the same 18.18 percent change for a
price decrease from $12 to $10. The resulting quantity change between 4 and 5 gives the same
percentage change of 22.22 percent, a change of 1 Stuffed Amigo from an midpoint base of $4.5 [=
($4 + $5)/2], whether quantity is increasing from 4 to 5 or decreasing from 5 to 4. As such, the price
elasticity of demand is 1.22 regardless of the direction of the price and quantity changes.
Alternative Specifications
One alternative method of specifying the midpoint elasticity formula can be had by eliminating the
"/2" from both the numerator and denominator terms on the right-hand side of the equation.
Eliminating this unneeded step results in a formula of:
midpoint
elasticity
=
(B2 - B1)

(B2 + B1)

(A2 - A1)

(A2 + A1)
Another variation of this midpoint formula is possible by rearranging terms slightly, resulting in:
midpoint
elasticity
=
(B2 - B1)

(A2 - A1)
x
(A2 + A1)

(B2 + B1)
Both of these alternatives are designed to ease the calculation process just a little. And all three
formulas produce identical results. Moreover, for increasingly small changes in the two variables A and
B, the midpoint elasticity formula more closely approximates point elasticity.








A Standard Demand Curve