Who Is Paul Krugman? Age, Biography and Wiki
Born on February 28, 1953, Paul Krugman is a prominent American economist, author, and professor known for his contributions to economic theory. As of 2025, Krugman is 72 years old. He is recognized for his influential writings in both academia and popular media, particularly his columns in The New York Times and his work on international trade and economic geography. Krugman was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences in 2008 for his analysis of trade patterns and location of economic activity.
| Occupation | Journalist |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | February 28, 1953 |
| Age | 72 Years |
| Birth Place | Albany, New York, U.S. |
| Horoscope | Pisces |
| Country | U.S |
Popularity
Paul Krugman's Popularity over time
Height, Weight & Measurements
While specific details regarding his height and weight are not publicly disclosed, Paul Krugman is typically regarded as of average build for a man of his age. He maintains a professional appearance suited to his various public engagements and academic positions.
In 1999, near the height of the dot com boom, The New York Times approached Krugman to write a bi-weekly column on "the vagaries of business and economics in an age of prosperity". His first columns in 2000 addressed business and economic issues, but as the 2000 US presidential campaign progressed, Krugman increasingly focused on George W.
Bush's policy proposals. According to Krugman, this was partly due to "the silence of the media – those 'liberal media' conservatives complain about ..." Krugman accused Bush of repeatedly misrepresenting his proposals, and criticized the proposals themselves.
After Bush's election, and his perseverance with his proposed tax cut in the midst of the slump (which Krugman argued would do little to help the economy but substantially raise the fiscal deficit), Krugman's columns grew angrier and more focused on the administration.
As Alan Blinder put it in 2002, "There's been a kind of missionary quality to his writing since then ...
He's trying to stop something now, using the power of the pen." Partly as a result, Krugman's twice-weekly column on the Op-Ed page of The New York Times has made him, according to Nicholas Confessore, "the most important political columnist in America ...
he is almost alone in analyzing the most important story in politics in recent years – the seamless melding of corporate, class, and political party interests at which the Bush administration excels." In an interview in late 2009, Krugman said his missionary zeal had changed in the post-Bush era and he described the Obama administration as "good
guys but not as forceful as I'd like ...
When I argue with them in my column this is a serious discussion. We really are in effect speaking across the transom here." Krugman says he's more effective at driving change outside the administration than inside it, "now, I'm trying to make this progressive moment in American history a success. So that's where I'm pushing."
Family, Dating & Relationship Status
Paul Krugman has been married twice. He was previously married to his first wife, Robin Wells, who is also an economist. As of 2025, he is currently married to his second wife, Georgette Schwartz, who has been a supportive partner throughout his career. Together, they reside in New York and lead a life deeply intertwined with economic and academic discussions.
During the 1997 Asian financial crisis, Krugman advocated currency controls as a way to mitigate the crisis. Writing in a Fortune magazine article, he suggested exchange controls as "a solution so unfashionable, so stigmatized, that hardly anyone has dared suggest it".
Malaysia was the only country that adopted such controls, and although the Malaysian government credited its rapid economic recovery on currency controls, the relationship is disputed. An empirical study found that the Malaysian policies produced faster economic recovery and smaller declines in employment and real wages.
Krugman later stated that the controls might not have been necessary at the time they were applied, but that nevertheless "Malaysia has proved a point – namely, that controlling capital in a crisis is at least feasible." Krugman more recently pointed out that emergency capital controls have even been endorsed by the IMF, and are no longer conside
red radical policy.
Net Worth and Salary
As of 2025, Paul Krugman’s estimated net worth is around $2 million. His wealth primarily stems from his academic positions, published books, and frequent contributions to various media outlets. Krugman has earned a significant salary from his role as a professor at the City University of New York and through his public speaking engagements.
Krugman is the author or editor of 27 books, including scholarly works, textbooks, and books for a more general audience, and has published over 200 scholarly articles in professional journals and edited volumes. He has also written several hundred columns on economic and political issues for The New York Times, Fortune and Slate.
A 2011 survey of economics professors named him their favorite living economist under the age of 60. According to the Open Syllabus Project, Krugman is the second most frequently cited author on college syllabi for economics courses.
As a commentator, Krugman has written on a wide range of economic issues including income distribution, taxation, macroeconomics, and international economics. Krugman considers himself a modern liberal, referring to his books, his blog on The New York Times, and his 2007 book The Conscience of a Liberal.
His popular commentary has attracted widespread praise and criticism.
Career, Business and Investments
Paul Krugman has had a storied career in economics, serving as a professor, public intellectual, and author. He has written several influential books, including The Conscience of a Liberal and End This Depression Now!, which highlight his perspective on economic policy and social justice. In addition to teaching, Krugman has engaged in various speaking and consulting roles, leading to numerous opportunities in the economic sector. His investments typically revolve around diversified assets, emphasizing ethical and sustainable options.
Krugman later praised his PhD thesis advisor, Rudi Dornbusch, as "one of the great economics teachers of all time" and said that he "had the knack of inspiring students to pick up his enthusiasm and technique, but find their own paths".
In 1978, Krugman presented a number of ideas to Dornbusch, who flagged as interesting the idea of a monopolistically competitive trade model. Encouraged, Krugman worked on it and later wrote, "[I] knew within a few hours that I had the key to my whole career in hand".
In that same year, Krugman wrote "The Theory of Interstellar Trade", a tongue-in-cheek essay on computing interest rates on goods in transit near the speed of light. He says he wrote it to cheer himself up when he was "an oppressed assistant professor".
Social Network
In the age of digital connectivity, Krugman maintains an active presence on social media, particularly on platforms like Twitter, where he shares insights on economic matters and engages with followers. His online presence allows him to connect with both the academic community and the general public, disseminating economic knowledge and advocating for progressive economic policies.
Prior to Krugman's work, trade theory (see David Ricardo and Heckscher–Ohlin model) emphasized trade based on the comparative advantage of countries with very different characteristics, such as a country with a high agricultural productivity trading agricultural products for industrial products from a country with a high industrial productivity.
However, in the 20th century, an ever-larger share of trade occurred between countries with similar characteristics, which is difficult to explain by comparative advantage.
Krugman's explanation of trade between similar countries was proposed in a 1979 paper in the Journal of International Economics, and involves two key assumptions: that consumers prefer a diverse choice of brands, and that production favors economies of scale.
Consumers' preference for diversity explains the survival of different versions of cars like Volvo and BMW. However, because of economies of scale, it is not profitable to spread the production of Volvos all over the world; instead, it is concentrated in a few factories and therefore in a few countries (or maybe just one).
Education
Krugman’s academic journey began with a Bachelor of Arts from the City University of New York in 1974, followed by a Ph.D. from MIT in 1977. His educational background laid the groundwork for his well-documented theories and analyses in international economics and public policy. Throughout his career, Krugman has remained dedicated to education, influencing new generations of economists.
Paul Robin Krugman ( born February 28, 1953) is an American New Keynesian economist who is the Distinguished Professor of Economics at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. He was a columnist for The New York Times from 2000 to 2024.
In 2008, Krugman was the sole winner of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for his contributions to new trade theory and new economic geography.
The Prize Committee cited Krugman's work explaining the patterns of international trade and the geographic distribution of economic activity, by examining the effects of economies of scale and of consumer preferences for diverse goods and services.
