Question

UPSC Prelims 2018 Question:

Despite being a high saving economy, capital formation may not result in significant increase in output due to

  1. 1. weak administrative machinery
  2. 2. illiteracy
  3. 3. high population density
  4. 4. high capital-output ratio

Answer (Detailed Solution Below)

Option 4: high capital-output ratio

Detailed Solution

Explanation:

  • Capital formation means increasing the stock of real capital in a country. In other words, capital formation involves the making of more capital goods such as machines, tools, factories, transport equipment, materials, electricity, etc., which are all used for the future production of goods.

  • For making additions to the stock of Capital, saving and investment are essential. The capital-output ratio is the amount of capital needed to produce one unit of output.

  • Hence, if the capital-output ratio is high, there will not be a significant increase in output despite high savings and investment.

Therefore, option (4) is the answer.

Subject: Economics | Basic Economic Concepts

Latest UPSC Exam 2026 Updates

Last updated on Sep, 2026

→ UPSC 2027 Notification will be released on 13 January 2027 at upsconline.nic.in.

Prafulla Vats
Prafulla Vats
Prafulla Vats is an experienced SEO and content strategist with over 4 years of expertise in driving organic growth across education and service niches. He specializes in crafting data-driven content strategies that help students and professionals access accurate, well-researched information. Through his work, he focuses on improving visibility, engagement, and trust through high-quality, SEO-optimized content.
UPSC GS Course 2027
UPSC GS Course 2027
₹1,80,000
Enroll Now
GS Foundation Course 2 Yrs
GS Foundation Course 2 Yrs
₹2,45,000
Enroll Now
UPSC Mentorship Program
UPSC Mentorship Program
₹65000
Enroll Now
UPSC Sureshot Mains Test Series
UPSC Sureshot Mains Test Series
₹27000
Enroll Now
Prelims Powerup Test Series
Prelims Powerup Test Series
₹14000
Enroll Now
Enquire Now