Journal profile · ECONOMICS
Economic Theory
ISSN 0938-2259 · eISSN 1432-0479 · Springer Nature · 8 issues per year
Economic Theory: CAS Zone 3 · Economics (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 1.17; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,090; median 426 days to acceptance (91 articles, last 24 months); 69 articles in 2025; indexed in SSCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Economic Theory is published by Springer Nature and is in Zone 3 of Economics in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Economic theories and models, Game Theory and Applications and Auction Theory and Applications, together about 41.8% of its articles. Its main subfields are Economics and Econometrics. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
The purpose of Economic Theory is to provide an outlet for research - in all areas of economics based on rigorous theoretical reasoning, and - on specific topics in mathematics which is motivated by the analysis of economic problems. Economic Theory's scope encompasses - but is not limited to - the following fields. - classical and modern equilibrium theory - cooperative and non-cooperative game theory - macroeconomics - social choice and welfare - uncertainty and information, intertemporal economics (including dynamical systems) - public economics - international and developmental economics - financial economics, money and banking - industrial organization Economic Theory also publishes surveys if they clearly picture the basic ideas at work in some areas, the essential technical apparatus which is used and the central questions which remain open. The development of a productive dialectic between stylized facts and abstract formulations requires that economic relevance be at the forefront. Thus, correct, and innovative, mathematical analysis is not enough; it must be motivated by - and contribute to - the understanding of substantive economic problems. Officially cited as: Econ Theory
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): ECONOMICS
Editor-in-chief Nicholas C. YannelisPublisher website
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named United States 58, United Kingdom 16, Japan 2, France 2, Italy 2 (94 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Economic theories and modelsEconomics, Econometrics and Finance23.7%
- Game Theory and ApplicationsDecision Sciences9.7%
- Auction Theory and ApplicationsDecision Sciences8.4%
- Game Theory and Voting SystemsEconomics, Econometrics and Finance7.9%
- Decision-Making and Behavioral EconomicsDecision Sciences5.9%
- Experimental Behavioral Economics StudiesSocial Sciences5.8%
- Economic Theory and PolicyEconomics, Econometrics and Finance4.9%
- Monetary Policy and Economic ImpactEconomics, Econometrics and Finance3.5%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Economics Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Economics | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Economics | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Economics Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Economics | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Economics | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Economics Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Economics | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Economics | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SSCIScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
SCIEzbMATHEconLitCurrent ContentsPublisher website
Other: Google Scholar, EBSCO, ProQuest, Dimensions, CNKI, Baidu, AGRICOLA, Naver, OCLC, Portico, CLOCKSS, RePEc
As the journal's website lists them, not checked against each database; for Web of Science editions the records above apply.
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor
- 1.17LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 1.2Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 1.1Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 2.6LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.23LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.22LetPub ·
- h-index
- 110OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 1,635OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 1.91OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 33.3%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 44.13%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 68LetPub ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 184,500Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 3,103 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 49 | 34 | 20 |
| 2025 | 69 | 37 | 108 |
| 2024 | 84 | 54 | 258 |
| 2023 | 62 | 40 | 280 |
| 2022 | 89 | 43 | 484 |
| 2021 | 70 | 28 | 706 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Review time from article dates manuscript dates registered with Crossref · to
426 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 274 days – 606 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 28 days (92 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 438 days
- Sample
- 91 articles with submission and acceptance dates (140 in the window); the latest was accepted on
Only articles that were accepted and published are counted, not the time spent on rejected manuscripts, so this usually runs longer than a publisher's "time to first decision".
Other sources
- Submission to first decision
- 2 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Double anonymous peer reviewPublisher website
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 3,090 / EUR 2,490 / GBP 2,190 | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
What to prepare5 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- 150–250 words
- Keywords
- ≥ 4
- Reference style
- Author–date
- Templates
- LaTeX and Word
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
Article types accepted1
- editorialThe Editor and Co-editors reserve the right to return to the author(s) any manuscript that in their opinion is not suitable for publication in Economic Theory, …Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Plagiarism
- AI use Generative AI Images
LLMs such as ChatGPT cannot be authors; LLM use must be documented in the Methods section, while AI-assisted copy editing need not be declared. Model summary
Please check Springer’s policy on generative AI images and make sure your work adheres to the principles described therein. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Authorship principles
These guidelines describe authorship principles and good authorship practices to which prospective authors should adhere to. Authorship clarified The Journal and Publisher assume all authors agreed with the content and that all gave explicit consent to submit and that they obtained consent from the responsible authorities at the institute/organization where the work has been carried out, before th…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Disclosures and declarations
Authors must disclose financial or non-financial competing interests related to the submitted work. Model summary
All authors are requested to include information regarding sources of funding, financial or non-financial interests, study-specific approval by the appropriate ethics committee for research involving humans and/or animals, informed consent if the research involved human participants, and a statement on welfare of animals if the research involved animals (as appropriate). The decision whether such …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability Data availability statements
All original research must include a data availability statement explaining how to access supporting data. Model summary
All original research must include a data availability statement. This statement should explain how to access data supporting the results and analysis in the article, including links/citations to publicly archived datasets analysed or generated during the study. Please see our full policy here. If it is not possible to share research data publicly, for instance when individual privacy could be com…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics Compliance with Ethical Standards
To ensure objectivity and transparency in research and to ensure that accepted principles of ethical and professional conduct have been followed, authors should include information regarding sources of funding, potential conflicts of interest (financial or non-financial), informed consent if the research involved human participants, and a statement on welfare of animals if the research involved an…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Copyright
Open Choice articles do not require transfer of copyright as the copyright remains with the author. In opting for open access, the author(s) agree to publish the article under a Creative Commons license. Details of the OA licences offered to authors can be found on the individual journal website, in the journal's How to publish with us guide. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access publishing
Open Choice articles retain copyright with the author and are published under a Creative Commons license. Model summary
To find out more about publishing your work Open Access in Economic Theory, including information on fees, funding and licences, visit our Open access publishing page. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review
Single-blind peer review; reviewer identities are never disclosed to authors or third parties. Model summary
Under no circumstances will the identity of the reviewer(s) and referee(s) be disclosed to the author(s) or to any other third party not involved in the editorial process.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Plagiarism
The journal may use software to screen for plagiarism. Model summary
the journal may use software to screen for plagiarism
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Springer Nature
- Frequency
- 8 issues per year
- ISSN
- 0938-2259
- Electronic ISSN
- 1432-0479
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 82, Issue 2 (September 2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗LetPub
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Economic Theory
What CAS zone is Economic Theory in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Economic Theory is in Zone 3 of Economics, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Economics. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 3 of Economics. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Economic Theory?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 1.17; CiteScore 2.6, h-index 110.
How long does peer review take at Economic Theory?
Based on the dates recorded on 91 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 426 days (interquartile range 274–606 days). Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
What are the manuscript requirements of Economic Theory?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: 150–250 words; Keywords: ≥ 4; Reference style: Author–date; Templates: LaTeX and Word; Suggested reviewers: Optional. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Where are the editorial board members of Economic Theory based?
Of the 94 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (58), United Kingdom (16) and Japan (2). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Economic Theory?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Economic Theory is indexed in SSCI and Scopus. The journal's website also lists SCIE, zbMATH, EconLit and Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Economic Theory open access, and what is the APC?
Economic Theory is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,090.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, OpenAlex, Publisher website; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-26). Last updated: .