which of the following contributes to the economic problem of scarcity?

The economic problem of scarcity exists because human wants are unlimited while resources (like land, labor, capital, and raw materials) are limited in supply.

Since your question is phrased as “which of the following…”, it usually refers to a multiple‑choice item where you must pick one option that best explains why scarcity exists. In standard economics, the key contributors are:

Core cause of scarcity

• Limited resources vs. unlimited wants : Resources such as land, labour, capital, and raw materials exist in finite quantities, but people’s wants keep expanding, so not everything can be produced and consumed.

• This mismatch forces societies to make choices about what to produce, how to produce, and for whom to produce, which is what economists call the basic economic problem.

Typical correct option in MCQs

In many exam or textbook questions, the correct choice is something worded like:

• “Unlimited human wants and limited resources”
• “Limited factors of production”
• “Finite resources but infinite wants”

Any option that emphasizes limited resources relative to unlimited wants is the one that contributes to the economic problem of scarcity.

If you share the exact answer choices, a precise selection can be made for your specific question. Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.