# Macroeconomic Factor: Definition, Types, Examples, and Impact

![Macroeconomic Factor](https://www.investopedia.com/thmb/EcI5lyA5PvWMR2BntBlr5KnSykA=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/macroeconomic-factor.asp-FINAL-57c3f1a12ba5426fbd2882906a7e3008.png)

*— Investopedia / Jiaqi Zhou*

> **Definition**
>
> A macroeconomic factor is a broad economic condition that directly impacts the overall economy of an entire region or country instead of a few businesses or individuals.

## What Is a Macroeconomic Factor?

A macroeconomic factor is a big-picture element that affects the economy of a region or country. They can happen fiscally, naturally, or geopolitically. Macroeconomic factors can be positive, negative, and neutral and can impact large populations rather than just a few people. Governments and businesses monitor them regularly to see how well the economy is doing. Some common factors include [inflation](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/i/inflation.asp), interest rates, unemployment rates, government policies, and gross domestic product (GDP).

### Key Takeaways

*   A macroeconomic factor broadly affects a regional or national economy.
*   They can be positive, negative, or neutral.
*   Examples of macroeconomic factors include economic outputs, unemployment rates, and inflation.  
    

## Understanding Macroeconomic Factors

The relationships between various macroeconomic factors are extensively studied in the field of [macroeconomics](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/m/macroeconomics.asp). While macroeconomics concerns the broad economy as a whole, [microeconomics](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/m/microeconomics.asp) narrows its realm of study to individual agents, such as consumers and businesses, and their respective economic behaviors and decision-making patterns.

A macroeconomic factor may include anything that influences the direction of a particular large-scale market. For example, [fiscal policy](https://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/012615/what-difference-between-keynesian-economics-and-monetarist-economics.asp) and various regulations can impact state and national economies, while potentially triggering broader international implications. 

## Negative Macroeconomic Factors

Negative macroeconomic factors include events that may jeopardize national or international economies. Fears of political instability caused by a nation’s involvement in a civil or international war are likely to heighten economic turbulence, due to the reallocation of resources, or damage to property, [assets](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/a/asset.asp), and livelihoods.

Unanticipated catastrophic events, such as the 2008 United States economic crisis, subsequently created a far-reaching ripple effect, resulting in tighter capital preservation requirements for banking institutions on a global scale. Other negative macroeconomic factors include natural disasters, such as earthquakes, tornadoes, flooding, and brushfires.

The COVID-19 pandemic is another example of a negative macroeconomic factor. Lockdowns triggered mass unemployment, hefty government spending, and supply shutdowns and later contributed to rapid inflation.

> **Fast Fact**
>
> Diseases, such as COVID-19 and the 2014 Ebola virus, can also be defined as macroeconomic factors.

## Neutral Macroeconomic Factors

Certain economic shifts are neither positive nor negative. Rather, the precise implications are determined by the intent of the action, such as trade regulation across state or national borders. The nature of the action in question, such as enacting or rescinding a trade [embargo](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/e/embargo.asp), will trigger myriad effects, depending on the economy being influenced.

## Positive Macroeconomic Factors

Positive macroeconomic factors include events that subsequently foster prosperity and [economic growth](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/e/economicgrowth.asp) within a single nation or a group of nations.

For example, a decrease in fuel prices within the U.S. might drive consumers to purchase more retail goods and services. Moreover, as the [demand](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/d/demand.asp) for goods and services increases, national and international suppliers of those items will invariably enjoy increased revenues from the heightened consumer activity. In turn, increased profits may drive up stock prices.

## Macroeconomic Factor Cycle

Economies are often cyclic at the macroeconomic level. As positive influences promote prosperity, increased demand may trigger higher prices, which may, in turn, suppress the economy, as households restrict their spending. As supply begins to outweigh demand, prices may again dip, leading to further prosperity, until the next shift in economic [supply and demand](https://www.investopedia.com/articles/economics/11/intro-supply-demand.asp).  

## What Are Some Examples of Macroeconomic Factors?

Macroeconomic factors include inflation, fiscal policy, employment levels, national income, and international trade.

## What Is the Difference Between Macroeconomics and Microeconomics?

Macroeconomics concerns the broad economy as a whole, [whereas microeconomics narrows down its focus](https://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/012615/how-do-i-differentiate-between-micro-and-macro-economics.asp) to the study of individual agents, such as consumers and businesses, and the impact of their behavior and decision-making. Microeconomics seeks to explain things such as how and why different goods have different values, and how individuals can best maximize efficiency.

## How Do Macroeconomic Factors Affect a Business?

Macroeconomic factors impact the whole population, including businesses. [Cyclical companies](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/cyclical_industry.asp), in particular, are likely to be more affected by macroeconomic factors as their fate is more closely tied to the state of the economy.

## The Bottom Line

Macroeconomic factors are important and hard to ignore, impacting economies and the state of our personal finances.

Governments try to manage these factors and maintain stability. However, the economy still moves through boom and bust cycles and it generally pays to keep on top of this and be aware of what is going on to best protect and enhance your finances.

> **Article Sources**
>
> 1.  Congressional Research Service. “[Bank Capital Requirements: A Primer and Policy Issues](https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R47447),” Page 6.