IB Economics IA Format & Structure (2025)
How to clearly structure your commentaries - and avoid easy-to-fix mistakes.
The IB Economics Internal Assessment is short - just 800 words per commentary - but every word has to count. Many students have strong ideas, but lose marks because their writing is unclear, disorganized, or missing key elements.
This page walks you through the ideal IA format for each of your three IB Economics IA commentaries.
Whether you're just starting or tweaking a final draft, you’ll learn how to
Organize your ideas
Present your diagrams
Hit every criterion clearly and efficiently
Need help structuring your Econ IA from the start - or making your draft more readable?
Work with an IB tutor who knows the IB Economics IA inside out.
IB Economics IA Format - Quick Overview
The IB Economics Internal Assessment consists of three separate commentaries, each based on a real-world news article and a different syllabus unit.
Here’s what you need to know at a glance:
3 Commentaries each one must focus on a different syllabus unit:
Microeconomics
Macroeconomics
The Global Economy
800 Words Maximum Each
This limit is strict - not a guideline. You won’t be penalized for being under, but you will lose marks if you go over.
Recent Articles Only
The articles you choose must have been published within 12 months of writing the commentary - not 12 months before submission.
Unique Key Concept per Commentary
Each piece must center around a different key concept from the IB’s official list (e.g. intervention, equity, sustainability, etc.).
What’s Not Included in the Word Count
You can exclude:
The full article (attached at the end)
Headings (title, source, date, key concept, syllabus area)
Diagrams
In-text citations or brief article quotes
The cover sheet
Keeping these basic rules in mind from the start will make planning - and avoiding errors - much easier down the line.
What to Include With Each Econ IA Commentary
Each IB Economics IA commentary needs to be submitted as a standalone document - clearly labeled, properly formatted, and free from identifying information.
Here’s what to include:
Cover Info at the Top
Each commentary should begin with:
Title of the article
Source
Publication date
Key concept used
Syllabus area (Micro, Macro, or Global Economy)
Attach the Full Article
Include the full text of your article (as an appendix or in full at the end).
IB Tutor Tip
Don’t just paste a link
Links can break or change, and IB examiners need to verify the article.
Keep It Anonymous
Your name or IB candidate number should not appear anywhere on the commentary. Submissions are meant to be anonymous for moderation.
No Formal Citations Needed
You’re not writing a research paper — you don’t need footnotes or a bibliography unless:
You quote something from your article directly
You briefly cite a statistic or concept from another source
In those rare cases, a quick in-text reference (e.g. “according to the IMF...”) is enough - no need for MLA or APA formatting.
IB Econ IA Step-by-Step Commentary Structure
Each IB Economics IA commentary is short - just 800 words - so a clear and purposeful structure is essential. While you're not required to use headings in the actual document, your writing should follow a logical flow that makes it easy for examiners to award marks.
Here’s a breakdown of what to include in each section:
Introduction (≈100 words)
Brief context and summary of the article (What happened? Where and when?)
Identify the economic issue or policy you're analyzing
Clearly state the key concept (e.g. intervention, equity) and relevant economic theory
Optional: define any complex or less familiar terms briefly
Economic Issue / Problem (≈50–100 words)
Explain why this situation matters from an economics perspective
(e.g. Is it a case of market failure? Policy intervention? Equity issue?)Clarify the cause-effect relationship that your analysis will explore
Diagram + Explanation (≈150–200 words)
Insert a labeled diagram (e.g. Figure 1) close to the text that explains it
Walk the reader through the diagram step by step:
What shifted and why?
What do the axes and curves represent?
How does the diagram reflect the situation in the article?
Don’t just include a generic diagram — tailor it to the real-world case
Deeper Analysis (≈100–150 words)
Dig into elasticity, assumptions, and possible second-round effects
Link your analysis back to the key concept
Highlight any trade-offs or tensions that arise
Begin transitioning toward evaluation — set up the debate or dilemma
Evaluation (≈200–300 words)
Discuss the short-term vs. long-term impacts
Consider multiple stakeholder perspectives (e.g. consumers, producers, governments)
Identify limitations in the theory or the policy’s design
Make a judgment about the effectiveness or consequences of the policy
Reconnect your evaluation to the key concept (e.g. Was the intervention equitable? Efficient?)
Conclusion (≈2–3 sentences)
Summarize your final insight or judgment clearly
Avoid introducing any new information here
IB Tutor Tip: No need for formal section headers in your final draft - just use clear paragraphing to guide the reader.
Struggling to pick the right diagram and walk examiners through it? Get guidance from an IB tutor who knows exactly what works.
IB Economics IA Final Formatting & Submission Tips
Many students lose easy marks on their IB Econ IA over formatting or overlooked portfolio rules - but with a few simple checks, you can avoid that completely.
IB Econ IA Formatting Guidelines
Submit as a PDF, unless your school requires a different format
Use 1.15–1.5 line spacing and a readable 11–12pt font
All diagrams must be labeled, clear, and easy to interpret
Don’t use section headers (e.g. “Introduction”) — instead, guide the reader with paragraph structure and transitions
IB Econ IA Submission Tips
Double-check the rubric requirements: three different syllabus areas, key concepts, and recent articles
Stay under the 800-word limit per commentary (quality matters more than squeezing in extra points)
Each commentary should be self-contained — avoid repeating the same analysis across pieces
You can quote or summarize the article in your writing, but don’t include the full article text in the word count
Need Help Perfecting Your IB Econ IA?
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