Podcasts can be a great, informative and entertaining way to learn about economics and stay up to date with current world events. This post provides an updated list of some of my favourite programmes, with some new descriptions, new graphics and even more podcasts! Without further ado and in no particular order, here are some of the best econ podcasts of the last year.
Planet Money
You’re likely to find NPR’s Planet Money to be atop any economics podcast rankings–and for good reason. Planet Money offers a lighthearted and entertaining view on economics phenomena surrounding our everyday life: from buffets to supermarkets, Planet Money uncovers their intricate economics. PM also delves into current world events and discusses their potential economic implications.
With compact 20-30 minute episodes published twice a week, you can be certain that your daily economics fix is not too far away. PM also offers additional episodes to Planet Money + subscribers for anyone who just can’t get enough of their episodes. If you are just getting started with econ podcasts, Planet Money is the place to start.
The ECB podcast
What better way to stay in the loop of European macroeconomics than through the ECB itself. The ECB podcast offers updates on monetary policy changes, speeches made by Lagarde and different analyses from in-house economists, making it an indispensable tool for any up-and-coming economist. Episodes are, however, only published a couple of times a month, making every new episode that much more exciting.
In Good Company with Nicolai Tangen
Too much macro-talk can lead us to forget the grassroot microeconomics that defines and runs our economic systems. In Good Company is the ideal podcast for enterprise and business discussions, hosting weekly guest speakers to talk about the ins and outs of life, work and business. The host, Nicolai Tangen, is the CEO that manages the largest sovereign wealth fund in the world, so you know you’re in good company listening to this series.
Guests are typically the CEOs or senior members of companies under partial ownership of the Norwegian Government Pension Fund, ranging from UBS, Microsoft, DoorDash, Citibank, Siemens, Morgan Stanley, Porsche, Hilton and many more. This wide array of industries and experience leads to incredibly entertaining and insightful discussions, as you get an inside look into many of the companies that surround our everyday lives.
Amongst my personal favourites is the episode with Russell Weiner from Domino’s Pizza, where the pair discuss how a bold marketing move pulled the franchise out of the gutters and into the global supergiant it is today. To hear more great discussions, try In Good Company.
The Indicator
Yet another NPR podcast! This time, The Indicator. Brought to us by our beloved Planet Money, the Indicator follows its sister show’s format by providing economic analyses on everyday–and larger scale–events. The episodes are published every weekday, but are only 10 minutes long (an even trade-off, if you ask me).
Nevertheless, The Indicator is always there to fulfill my economics craving on the lonely days Planet Money is nowhere to be seen. To get started with The Indicator, I suggest giving the episode “The Indicator of the Year” a listen.
Macro Musings with David Beckworth
Macro Musings is the podcast for those lazy Saturday afternoons that just need that in-depth one hour economics discussion to brighten up the day. With a new guest every week, David Beckworth’s podcast discusses markets, finance and the global economy–often circling back to the US Fed.
Although the episodes may sometimes feel a bit hit-or-miss depending on the guest, anyone who is longing for monetary policy analyses will probably enjoy this one. Lastly, a good point is that its topics cover much more than simple “where will rates go” talk, but feature policy framework revisions, financial resiliency discussions, economic theory and much more.
The Economics Show with Soumaya Keynes
Similar to Macro Musings, Soumaya Keynes’ new “The Economics Show” hosts guest speakers to discuss everything related to economics, albeit packed into shorter 30-minute episodes. From Nobel Prize winners, central bank committee members to university professors, guests from wide backgrounds offer insights into even wider topics.
The episodes are also very dependent on the guest, but most weekly uploads are worth giving a listen. Listeners will have to keep in mind that the show is still relatively new, meaning that the current selection of episodes isn’t too vast.
Economist Podcasts
Next, Economist Podcasts. The fittingly named series is a fantastic podcast to learn about world events and economics. Updated every weekday, the series “provides a fresh perspective to the events shaping your world”. From (geo)politics, pop culture and, of course, everything related to economics, The Economist is my go-to news source that helps me learn about world events.
Each 25-40 minute episode is centered around one main topic, followed by other interesting themes. As an added bonus, most of the scripts from the weekday releases are paraphrased versions of actual The Economist articles, giving everyone without a subscription an underappreciated back door into the newspaper.
The Economics of Everyday Things
To finish off, brought to us by the one-and-only Freaknomics radio network, The Economics of Everyday Things. Having quickly become one of my all-time favourite programmes, the podcast offers weekly 20 minute episodes on the economics of, well, everything.
The greatly influential Freakonomics book series popularised the phrase “[exploring] the hidden side of everything” as a catch-all descriptor for what economics does. Although not intended to be taken literally, it emphasises economics’ ability to explain how incentives, opportunity costs and other concepts help shape policies, behavior and consequently everyday life.
This is precisely the beauty this podcast series draws on. Any kind of business, be it breeding spicy peppers, selling life insurance, owning a food truck or organising sports leagues for kids hides complicated cost-price dynamics, supply chains and demand functions uncovered by the host Zachary Crockett. This podcast explains the economics hidden within the mundanity of everyday life–one weekly upload at a time.
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