GDP 101 · On-demand course for beginners
A one-hour recorded introduction to GDP from MCC Economics. It explains what GDP measures, why it is used as a guide to the health of an economy and the different approaches to calculating it, with illustrative examples.
GDP 101 is delivered by MCC Economics practitioners who apply economic analysis for governments, regulators and businesses.
Course lead
Economist, MCC Economics
Rodrigo is an economist who combines data analysis with project management. He has co-authored MCC papers on Ofwat's PR24 final determination, Dubai's smart grid programme and water resilience in the UK and US.
GDP 101 is a one-hour on-demand introduction to gross domestic product. It explains what GDP is, why it is used as an indicator of economic health and the different ways it can be calculated, using illustrative examples. It is written for beginners, and you get the video lecture, slides, a transcript and a quiz as soon as you buy.
You will be able to explain what GDP is and read headline GDP figures with understanding. The course is built around three outcomes.
The lecture follows the published agenda, and a quiz at the end tests your understanding.
These are terms you will meet in the course, in plain English.
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Gross domestic product (GDP) | The total value of the final goods and services produced in an economy over a period, usually a quarter or a year. |
| Final goods and services | Goods and services bought by their end user, such as a loaf of bread bought by a household. |
| Intermediate goods | Goods used up in making something else, such as the flour a baker buys. They are not counted separately in GDP. |
| Value added | The value a firm adds to the goods it buys in, equal to its sales minus the cost of those inputs. |
| Economic indicator | A statistic, such as GDP, unemployment or inflation, used to judge how an economy is performing. |
It suits anyone who needs a clear starting point on GDP, with no background in economics required.
GDP 101 is the first course in MCC's on-demand GDP series. From here, GDP 105 works through the calculation approaches in detail, followed by alternative measures, the behaviour of GDP components and a real-world calculation.
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MCC Economics is an independent consultancy, founded in London in 2017, that provides economic and financial analysis to governments, regulators and businesses. Its clients include Ofgem, Ofwat, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, the Abu Dhabi Department of Energy and the Civil Aviation Authority. Read more about its economic analysis work or meet the team on the people page.
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See the instructor profiles near the top of this page for the current teaching team.
No. GDP 101 is available on demand only and no meeting is held. You watch the recorded lecture at your own pace.
A one-hour video lecture, the slides, an audio transcript and a quiz.
Straight away. Access to all course materials is given as soon as the order is placed.
Gross domestic product (GDP) is the total value of the final goods and services produced in an economy over a period, usually a quarter or a year. It is the most widely used measure of the size and health of an economy.
No. GDP 101 is written for beginners and people new to economics.
The MCC Economics courses page lists GDP 101 at £32.68. The final price is shown at checkout on Eventbrite.
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Page last reviewed October 2026.
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