Book Title: Introduction to cost-benefit analysis
Subtitle: Theoretical foundations and rules of practice
Book Description: Cost–benefit analysis is a decision-support tool designed to assess the social profitability of a project or a public policy. This textbook is intended for readers with a background in microeconomics who wish to acquire the theoretical and practical foundations of this tool.
Contents
Book Information
Book Description
This textbook is intended for readers with a basic knowledge of microeconomics who wish to acquire the foundations of cost–benefit analysis (CBA). CBA refers to a set of practices derived from economic theory that aim to assess the social profitability of a project or a public policy. This decision-support tool is used by several international organizations as well as by many governments.
Structured into five distinct parts, the textbook offers a methodical progression. The first part presents the fundamentals of cost–benefit analysis. The second focuses on the valuation of impacts that occur in markets. The third part presents techniques for valuing effects that arise outside markets, also referred to as “intangible effects.” The fourth part addresses complementary issues such as the choice of the discount rate and the treatment of risk and uncertainty. Finally, the fifth part presents concrete case studies illustrating the application of the method to real-world projects.
License
Introduction to cost-benefit analysis Copyright © 2026 by Philippe Barla is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.
Subject
Economics
Metadata
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Introduction to cost-benefit analysis Copyright © 2026 by Philippe Barla is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.