Cambridge IGCSE Economics 0455/22 is the May/June 2026 Paper 2 (Structured Questions), variant 2. It lasts 2 hours 15 minutes, is worth 90 marks and is sat by every 0455 candidate. You answer four questions: the compulsory 30-mark data response on employment and unemployment in Kuwait, then three of the four 20-mark questions in Section B. The biggest single parts are the 8-mark “discuss” questions that end each Section B question, which are marked in levels. This guide goes through every question and shows what the official mark scheme gave marks for. The paper and its mark scheme are free on the Tutopiya Learning Portal.

For an overview of both 0455 papers from this series, see IGCSE Economics 0455 May/June 2026 past papers: what came up and how it was marked.

0455/22 at a glance

The rubric is: answer Question 1 in Section A, and any three questions from Section B.

Question	Section	Context and topics	Marks
1	A (compulsory)	Kuwait: current account, living standards, indirect tax, youth unemployment, public and private sector jobs, a new port	30
2	B (optional)	Mongolia copper mine: miners, measuring unemployment, MNCs, the tertiary sector and development	20
3	B (optional)	Zimbabwe: inflation, saving, exchange rates, a ban on bank lending	20
4	B (optional)	UK: economic goods, demand for cakes, taxing school fees, mergers	20
5	B (optional)	Denmark: birth rate, PED, trade unions	20
		Total answered (Question 1 + three from 2–5)	90

Every Section B question has the same shape: parts (a) to (d) worth 2, 4, 6 and 8 marks.

Question-by-question walkthrough

Question 1: employment and unemployment in Kuwait (30 marks)

The source material had a 2023 fact file for Kuwait (labour force, GDP and current account surplus), a passage on what Kuwait exports and its living standards, a table of unemployment and youth unemployment rates in six countries, and a passage on the planned Mubarak Al-Kabeer port on Boubyan Island.

• 1(a) Current account surplus as a percentage of GDP (1 mark): 64 ÷ 160 × 100 = 40%. The mark scheme also accepted 40 on its own.
• 1(b) Two items in Kuwait’s trade in services (2 marks): ship insurance and financial advice or services, both named in the source. Tourism was also accepted. If you write more than two, only the first three are considered.
• 1(c) The opportunity cost of exporting (2 marks): the chance to consume those products in Kuwait is given up. A correct general explanation of opportunity cost could earn 1 mark, but full marks needed it applied to exports.
• 1(d) Two reasons living standards may be high (4 marks): 1 mark for each reason and 1 for each explanation. Credited pairs included high income (able to buy more and better goods and services), good quality education (better-paid jobs), good quality healthcare (long life expectancy), cheaper products than in Europe and the US (a lower cost of living) and a low unemployment rate (most people earn a regular income).
• 1(e) Diagram of an increase in indirect tax on jeans (4 marks): one mark each for correctly labelled axes (price and quantity), labelled original demand and supply curves, a new supply curve shifted to the left and labelled, and both equilibrium positions shown (P1/Q1 and P2/Q2, or E1 and E2). Without a correct supply shift, the equilibrium mark could not be given.
• 1(f) The relationship between the two unemployment rates (5 marks): the mark scheme rewarded four kinds of point, up to 2 marks each, plus 1 for explaining the exception:
  • Relationship: it is direct or positive; the higher the unemployment rate, the higher the youth unemployment rate.
  • Evidence: Eswatini had the highest of both rates, Jordan the second highest of both, or a direct comparison of two countries (for example Jordan against Argentina). A direct comparison was credited only once.
  • Explanation: a high unemployment rate suggests a lack of jobs, and youth unemployment is part of the overall rate.
  • Exception: Kuwait (2.2%) had a lower unemployment rate than Australia (3.7%) but a higher youth unemployment rate (25.5% against 10.8%). One reason credited for this: young Kuwaitis may take time to find a first job after education, or Australian firms may be more willing to hire young workers.
• 1(g) Would workers benefit from moving from the public to the private sector? (6 marks): up to 4 marks for reasons they would and up to 4 for reasons they would not, to a maximum of 6. For: higher wages that reward productivity, bonuses and fringe benefits, jobs nearer home, better working conditions and more training. Against: higher pay in the public sector through set career structures, worse conditions or longer hours, less job security (redundancy when profits fall, short-term or zero-hour contracts), lower pensions, and fewer chances to join a trade union and benefit from collective bargaining. Wages, conditions and training could be credited on either side.
• 1(h) Will a new port benefit an economy? (6 marks): the same 4 + 4 structure. For: investment and MNCs, jobs and lower unemployment, higher total demand, output and incomes, cheaper sea transport and more competitive exports, a better current account, and more imports and consumer choice. Against: pollution as a negative externality, harm to wildlife and biodiversity, lost tourism (the island is a popular tourist area), a worse current account, structural unemployment, and the opportunity cost of the land, which could be used for hotels, conservation, education or healthcare. An increase in imports could be argued on either side.

The discuss rule applies to every discuss part on the paper: each point counts only once, and simply reversing a point you have already made on the other side earns nothing. A genuinely different reason on the other side does score.

Question 2: a copper mine in Mongolia (20 marks)

The stimulus described a foreign MNC expanding a copper mine that had created more than 15 000 jobs, alongside the decline of mining in other countries and the growth of the tertiary sector.

• 2(a) Two disadvantages of working as a miner (2 marks): danger and health and safety risks, poor working conditions, and low pay.
• 2(b) Why government measurement of unemployment may be inaccurate (4 marks): the claimant count may include people working informally while claiming benefits, or people not actively looking for work, and may miss unemployed people who are not entitled to benefits. The Labour Force Survey may have sampling errors or bias, misinterpreted questions, inaccurate answers and a time lag before publication. Underemployment was rewarded but not expected.
• 2(c) Why an MNC may close a mine in a host country (6 marks): a list of reasons was capped at 3 marks, so each reason needs developing. Creditable chains included falling demand or more competition reducing revenue and profit, rising costs such as wages or indirect taxes, deposits running out, higher corporate tax, new regulations or stronger unions making the mine unprofitable, political instability, climate or weather, labour shortages, and an appreciating exchange rate making exports less competitive.
• 2(d) Does a larger tertiary sector increase economic development? (8 marks, levels): for: highly skilled and well-paid service jobs, higher GDP and employment, good working conditions, more education and healthcare, and a higher HDI. Against: low-paid jobs in areas such as hospitality, poor conditions in some service jobs, low-productivity jobs dominating, uneven development that favours urban areas, a smaller primary sector that can earn high incomes (such as oil), a smaller manufacturing base with fewer economies of scale, and external costs from tourism and transport.

Question 3: inflation and bank lending in Zimbabwe (20 marks)

The stimulus explained that Zimbabwe’s president ordered commercial banks to stop lending in 2022, when inflation was 105%, and that inflation rose to 850% in 2023.

• 3(a) What a fall in the inflation rate means (2 marks): the rate of increase in the general price level (1) has fallen (1). Prices are still rising, only more slowly.
• 3(b) Two reasons households save in a commercial bank (4 marks): 1 + 1 for each reason. The bank pays interest, so savings grow; it is a safe place that reduces the risk of theft or loss; households build up funds for education, healthcare, a home or a shock; and bank advertising raises awareness of the benefits.
• 3(c) How a fall in the exchange rate can cause inflation (6 marks): a list was capped at 3. The word “inflation” on its own was not credited; you had to name demand-pull or cost-push inflation. The demand-pull chain: export prices fall, demand for exports rises, total demand increases, and prices rise if total supply cannot keep up. The cost-push chain: import prices rise, so imported raw materials and capital goods cost more, and domestic firms face less pressure to keep costs low.
• 3(d) Will less bank lending harm an economy? (8 marks, levels): for harm: firms that borrow to cover costs may close, firms cannot fund expansion, total demand, output and employment fall, households cannot borrow for education and healthcare, productivity may fall and governments cannot borrow. Against: less demand for imports and a better current account, less demand-pull inflation, and fewer firms and households falling into debt.

Question 4: indirect taxes and mergers in the UK (20 marks)

The stimulus noted that some UK products, such as books, children’s clothes and cakes, carry no indirect tax, that clothes firms had merged in 2023, and that the government planned a tax on private school fees.

• 4(a) Two characteristics of an economic good (2 marks): it uses scarce resources, it has an opportunity cost, and it is scarce relative to demand.
• 4(b) Two reasons demand for cakes may increase (4 marks): higher incomes, a rise in the price of a substitute, advertising, a fall in the price of a complement, a larger or younger population, and changing tastes, celebrations or better cakes, each with its explanation. A fall in the price of cakes was not accepted, because that changes quantity demanded rather than demand.
• 4(c) Effects of taxing private school fees (6 marks): a list was capped at 3. Developed chains included higher costs and prices for private schools, lower demand, some children attending less or not at all, school closures and job losses; families who keep private education having less to spend on other goods; more demand for state schools, with more state school jobs and higher government spending; and extra tax revenue to cut a budget deficit or fund services such as healthcare.
• 4(d) Should a government encourage clothes firms to merge? (8 marks, levels): for: protecting output and jobs, economies of scale, lower costs and prices, more exports and more tax revenue. Against: diseconomies of scale, monopoly power, higher prices, lower quality and less choice, job losses from rationalisation, and externalities from extra production. Answers with no reference to the context were capped at Level 2; one mention of either the government decision or clothing firms was enough.

Question 5: birth rates and trade unions in Denmark (20 marks)

The stimulus contrasted Denmark’s rising birth rate with falls elsewhere, mentioned firms that provide free childcare, and noted that many Danish public sector workers belong to a trade union.

• 5(a) Define birth rate (2 marks): the number of live births (1) per 1000 of the population (1).
• 5(b) Two benefits of a rising birth rate (4 marks): a bigger future labour force, raising output and growth; bigger child-related markets and total demand, so firms expand and gain economies of scale; and a move towards the optimum population, raising real GDP per head. Higher GDP or growth could be used as the development for both reasons.
• 5(c) How a firm could make demand more price-inelastic (6 marks): listing determinants of PED earned up to 3, and answers without valid development were capped at 3. Credited routes: advertising, branding and packaging that make the product seem special or necessary; removing substitutes, for example by merging; cutting the price of a complement; improving quality so customers are less likely to switch; and limiting the time customers have to look for alternatives. A simple “change the price” earned nothing, except the indirect point that a lower price makes the purchase a smaller share of income. One mark in total was available for correctly defining inelastic demand, and that definition had to mention responsiveness.
• 5(d) Should governments stop workers joining trade unions? (8 marks, levels): for: avoiding industrial action and disrupted production, smaller wage rises and less cost-push inflation, protected employment, better price competitiveness and current account, easier introduction of new methods, and attracting MNCs. Against: losing collective bargaining, lower living standards, worse working conditions and job security, harder communication between workers and employers, and lower motivation and productivity. No reference to the context capped the answer at Level 2.

How the 8-mark levels work

All four part (d) questions used the same three levels:

• Level 1 (1–2 marks): a simple attempt using economic terms, with occasional understanding of theory.
• Level 2 (3–5 marks): reasoned analysis using economic ideas, but it may lack depth or be one-sided.
• Level 3 (6–8 marks): both sides of the argument are considered and developed, with thoughtful evaluation; one side can have more depth than the other. Pointing out what the outcome depends on also helps here.

Where the marks are on 0455/22

Split by command word, for a candidate answering Question 1 and three Section B questions:

Command word	Marks
Discuss (1(g), 1(h) and three part (d)s)	36
Analyse (1(f) and three part (c)s)	23
Explain (1(c), 1(d) and three part (b)s)	18
Identify, state or define (1(b) and three part (a)s)	8
Draw (1(e))	4
Calculate (1(a))	1
Total	90

• Discuss parts are 40% of the paper. Two-sided, developed arguments are the single biggest skill tested.
• Analyse parts carry another 23 marks, and every Section B part (c) capped a list at 3 of 6. A chain of reasoning, not a list, is what scores.
• Only 9 marks are short recall or a single calculation, so a strong 0455/22 answer depends far more on explanation than on memorised definitions.

How to self-mark 0455/22 with the mark scheme

1. Learn the layout. A slash or “or” separates alternative ways of making the same point; semicolons, bullets or a (1) separate different points. Content in brackets is context for the examiner and is not required for the mark.
2. Mark the short parts point by point. For “explain two” parts, give 1 mark per reason and 1 per explanation, and stop at the maximum. If you wrote more than two reasons, the mark scheme considers only the first three.
3. For the 6-mark discuss parts in Question 1, count your creditable points on each side, cap each side at 4, and cap the total at 6. Strike out any point that just reverses one you already made.
4. For the 6-mark analyse parts, check whether you developed each reason or only listed it. A list caps the part at 3.
5. Level the 8-mark parts as a whole. Decide first whether both sides are developed (Level 3), then place the mark within the band. Check the context cap on 4(d) and 5(d).
6. Check the diagram against the four features in 1(e), and make sure the supply curve shifts left before you award the equilibrium mark.
7. Log each lost mark as missing knowledge, an undeveloped point or a one-sided argument, and practise that skill next.

Sit 0455/22 as a timed mock

The paper allows 135 minutes for 90 marks, about one and a half minutes per mark. A workable plan:

Block	Marks	Time
Read Section B and choose three questions	–	4 minutes
Question 1 (read the source, then answer)	30	45 minutes
First Section B question	20	27 minutes
Second Section B question	20	27 minutes
Third Section B question	20	27 minutes
Check, especially the 1(e) diagram and part (d) conclusions	–	5 minutes

Choose your Section B questions by part (d): it carries 8 of the 20 marks, so pick the debates you can argue on both sides. Within each question, spend about 12 minutes on part (d).

Other May/June 2026 0455 papers

• 0455 Paper 12 (Multiple Choice)

Practise and download

• Download 0455/22 and its mark scheme on the Learning Portal →
• All 0455 May/June 2026 papers: overview and marking patterns
• Try a free IGCSE Economics quiz

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Frequently asked questions

What topics were on 0455 Paper 22 May/June 2026? +

Question 1 was a compulsory data response on employment and unemployment in Kuwait. The optional Section B questions covered a copper mine in Mongolia and the tertiary sector, inflation and a bank lending ban in Zimbabwe, UK indirect taxes and clothes firm mergers, and birth rates and trade unions in Denmark.

How many marks is 0455/22 and how long is it? +

It is out of 90 marks and lasts 2 hours 15 minutes. Question 1 is worth 30 marks, and each of the three Section B questions you answer is worth 20.

What was the answer to 0455/22 Question 1(a)? +

40%. Kuwait's current account surplus was $64bn and its GDP $160bn, and 64 ÷ 160 × 100 = 40%. The mark scheme also accepted 40 without the % sign.

How are the 8-mark discuss questions on 0455/22 marked? +

With three levels: 1 to 2 marks for a simple attempt using basic terms, 3 to 5 for reasoned but possibly one-sided discussion, and 6 to 8 for an answer that develops both sides and evaluates. In Questions 4(d) and 5(d), answers with no reference to the question's context were capped at Level 2.

How was the Question 1(e) diagram on 0455/22 marked? +

Four marks: correctly labelled axes, labelled original demand and supply curves, a supply curve shifted to the left, and both equilibrium positions. Without a correct supply shift, the equilibrium mark could not be given.

Where can I download 0455/22 May/June 2026 and its mark scheme? +

Both are free to download and print on the Tutopiya Learning Portal, on the Cambridge IGCSE Economics 0455 past papers page.

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