Most Influential Economists
Name↕ | Nationality↕ | Born↕ | Died↕ | School↕ | Key Idea↕ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Adam Smith | Scottish | 1,723 | 1,790 | Classical | The Wealth of Nations (1776), invisible hand, division of labor |
Karl Marx | German | 1,818 | 1,883 | Marxist | Das Kapital, labor theory of value, critique of capitalism |
John Maynard Keynes | British | 1,883 | 1,946 | Keynesian | General Theory (1936), government spending in recessions |
Friedrich Hayek | Austrian-British | 1,899 | 1,992 | Austrian | The Road to Serfdom, price signals, Nobel 1974 |
Milton Friedman | American | 1,912 | 2,006 | Chicago / Monetarist | Monetarism, free markets, Capitalism and Freedom, Nobel 1976 |
David Ricardo | British | 1,772 | 1,823 | Classical | Comparative advantage, theory of rent |
Thomas Malthus | British | 1,766 | 1,834 | Classical | Population grows geometrically while food grows arithmetically |
Alfred Marshall | British | 1,842 | 1,924 | Neoclassical | Principles of Economics (1890), supply and demand scissors |
Joseph Schumpeter | Austrian-American | 1,883 | 1,950 | Austrian / Evolutionary | Creative destruction, entrepreneurship as engine of growth |
Paul Samuelson | American | 1,915 | 2,009 | Neo-Keynesian | First American Nobel in economics (1970), dominant textbook for decades |
John Kenneth Galbraith | Canadian-American | 1,908 | 2,006 | Institutionalist | The Affluent Society, countervailing power |
Amartya Sen | Indian | 1,933 | 0 | Welfare economics | Development as Freedom, capability approach, Nobel 1998 |
Gary Becker | American | 1,930 | 2,014 | Chicago | Human capital, economics of discrimination, Nobel 1992 |
Paul Krugman | American | 1,953 | 0 | Neo-Keynesian | New trade theory, economic geography, Nobel 2008, NYT columnist |
Thomas Piketty | French | 1,971 | 0 | Inequality | Capital in the Twenty-First Century (2013), r > g |
Joseph Stiglitz | American | 1,943 | 0 | Neo-Keynesian | Information asymmetry, Nobel 2001, globalization critic |
Irving Fisher | American | 1,867 | 1,947 | Neoclassical / Monetary | Quantity theory of money, debt deflation theory |
Elinor Ostrom | American | 1,933 | 2,012 | Institutional | Governing the Commons, first woman Nobel economics 2009 |
Free to explore · No signup needed
Frequently asked questions
How is the Most Influential Economists list ranked?
The Most Influential Economists list is currently sorted by the source data's default ordering. Community voting is not enabled on this dataset.
How many entries are in this Most Influential Economists dataset?
This dataset contains 18 entries, each with multiple sortable, filterable columns. The full table is visible on this page and can be downloaded as a CSV, JSON, or Excel file.
Can I download the Most Influential Economists data?
Yes. The download buttons at the top of the page give you the full 18-row dataset as CSV, JSON, or Excel. Use of the data is permitted under a Creative Commons Attribution license — credit dtbse.com when you republish.
Related Datasets
More in People
Nobel Laureates by Country
Nobel Prize winners organized by country of birth or citizenship.
Nobel Peace Prize Winners
All Nobel Peace Prize laureates and organizations.
Dutch Golden Age Painters
The masters of 17th-century Holland — Rembrandt, Vermeer and the artists who defined the Dutch Golden Age, but who really reigns supreme?
Nobel Laureates in Literature
All winners of the Nobel Prize in Literature.
WWII Resistance Fighters
From Sophie Scholl to Jean Moulin - who were the bravest souls of the occupation?
Famous Sommeliers & Wine Critics
Robert Parker vs Jancis Robinson vs Karen MacNeil - whose palate moves the wine world?
Impressionist Painters
The pioneers of Impressionism who broke from academic tradition — Monet, Renoir, Degas and the movement that changed painting forever.
Medical Pioneers
Pasteur, Fleming, Lister, Salk - who saved the most lives with a single breakthrough?
Famous Samurai Warriors
Miyamoto Musashi vs Oda Nobunaga vs Date Masamune - who'd win the sword's debate across feudal Japan?
Female Monarchs Throughout History
The queens and empresses who shaped world history — from Cleopatra to Elizabeth I to Catherine the Great, who really wore the crown best?
Famous Philanthropists
Notable philanthropists and their contributions.
Iconic Journalists
Cronkite, Woodward & Bernstein, Amanpour - fourth estate legends who moved history.