We've had one of the largest responses ever to our Young Economist of the Year competition with nearly 1300 applicants from schools across the country. Thank you to everyone who has taken part.
Our partner,Tutor2U, has reported that the standard of entries was extremely high, and a large number were very close to being shortlisted or highly recommended.
Our judges considered each essay anonymously for its originality, quality of writing, economic content and the quality and power of the economic arguments.
The Royal Economic Society is pleased to announce that this year’s winners are:
Best overall essay
Dan Gilbey – Haberdashers Askes Boys School
Best essay from a year 12 student (not awarded the best overall essay)
Anna Cleary – St Mary’s School, Ascot
Best essay on each of the four titles (not awarded another prize)
Sam Christie – Abingdon School (GDP measurement essay)
Christos Alexandrou – Davenant Foundation School (Productivity puzzle essay)
Amir Razak – Highgate School (Plastics pollution essay)
Gus Smith – Ripon Grammar School (Internet companies essay)
The following were shortlisted by the teacher judging panel:
Feiya Yu – Downside School
Ryan Patel – King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford
Leah Carol – Streatham and Clapham High School
Meido Nkontchou – Latymer Upper School
Antonia Harrison – Altrincham Grammar School for Girls
Oscar Pringle – Truro School
These were highly commended by the teacher judging panel:
Kieran Mardania – Ashton-under-Lyne Sixth Form College
Aaron Dadzie – Bancroft’s School
Joseph Asaoka-Wright – Bishop Ramsey CE School
Bila Asghar – Bolton School Boys Division
Emmie Lowes – Chatham & Clarendon Grammar School
Cameron Tan – City of London School
Oluwamayowa Ayanbadejo – Eton College
George Moran – Gosforth Academy
Benjamin Schwarzmann – Haberdashers Askes Boys School
Gareth Hart – Halliford School
Kai Bowers – Herts and Essex High School
Keir Bradwell – Hills Road Sixth Form College, Cambridge
Thibau Grumett – Invicta Grammar School
Faraz Syed – King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford
Yashwanth Tenneti – King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford
Mathis Bitton – Kristin School
Cameron Weatherburn – Lancaster Royal Grammar School
Chloe Ashton-Rogers – Northampton School for Girls
Aalim Khan – Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Wakefield
Euan Farrington – Queen Elizabeth High School, Hexham
Young Loon Ling – Raffles Institution
Tom Paddon – Royal Hospital School
Gracie Li – South Hampstead High School
Sascha Lowdermilk-Oppenheim – South Hampstead High School
Alexander Finan – The Bear Creek School
Mizuki Takahashi – The British School in Tokyo
Matthew Gosling – The King John School, Benfleet
Sofia Akuamoah – The Tiffin Girls’ School
Harjyot Anand – Tiffin School
Kiran Sithamparapillai – Trinity School of John Whitgift
Maximilian Mutkin – Westminster School
James Lloyd Williams – Westminster School
For the 2018 competition, students were asked to complete a 1,500 word essay on one of the following four titles:
- "GDP does not measure the output of the economy any more". Do you agree, and if so, what improvements would you suggest?
- What explains the UK’s "productivity puzzle"?
- Does economics have the answer for the global problem of plastics pollution?
- "Some internet companies have become too big for the good of society and should be broken up". Do you agree?
Prizes were awarded for the best overall essay (£800), for the best essay on each of the four titles (4 x £200) and for the best essay from a Year 12 student (£400).
