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supply curve

economics
Written and fact-checked byThe Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.
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relationship of price to supply and demand
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Illustration of the relationship of price to supply (S) and demand (D).
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

supply curve, in economics, graphic representation of the relationship between product price and quantity of product that a seller is willing and able to supply. Product price is measured on the vertical axis of the graph and quantity of product supplied on the horizontal axis.

In most cases, the supply curve is drawn as a slope rising upward from left to right, since product price and quantity supplied are directly related (i.e., as the price of a commodity increases in the market, the amount supplied increases). This relationship is dependent on certain ceteris paribus (other things equal) conditions remaining constant. Such conditions include the number of sellers in the market, the state of technology, the level of production costs, the seller’s price expectations, and the prices of related products. A change in any of these conditions will cause a shift in the supply curve. A shifting of the curve to the left corresponds to a decrease in the quantity of product supplied, whereas a shift to the right reflects an increase. Compare demand curve.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by Adam Augustyn.