Last updated: October 22, 2026. Compiled by Mahelet G. Fikru, Professor at Missouri University of Science and Technology.
Quick answer
Economists writing on Substack under their real names include Nobel laureate Paul Krugman, Justin Wolfers of the University of Michigan, John H. Cochrane of the Hoover Institution, former Federal Reserve economist Claudia Sahm, Branko Milanovic, Deirdre Nansen McCloskey, and Mariana Mazzucato of UCL. This directory lists 50 named economists active on Substack in 2026, grouped by their fields of study, with a link and a one-line description for each. I update it as the list grows.
Why I built this list
I have been thinking about who is actually shaping the way economics is discussed in public, not just in academic journals. So I started paying attention and collecting data on economists who are actively showing up and sharing their work on Substack.
Economists study very different parts of the economy — labor markets, macroeconomic policy, financial systems, environmental protection, energy markets, agricultural systems, and more. Yet, to the public, “economist” often sounds like a single voice. It is not.
Economics shapes policy. Economic thinking also shapes the day-to-day decisions we make, and how we understand the world around us — prices, jobs, energy, wars, and technology. Who communicates economic ideas and how often they show up in public spaces matter. Visibility influences which ideas gain traction.
One of my goals is to help my undergraduate students see the different types of economists and the variety of topics we study.
How this list was formed
This database is not a ranking, and it is not static. It is a dataset of economists who consistently engage with the public through Substack. An economist is included if they:
clearly identify as an economist on Substack
use their real name (not anonymous)
have posted on Substack in 2026
The list started with my own reading and your recommendations. In September 2026, I also searched Substack for writers whose profiles mention “economist” or “economics” and added everyone who met these three criteria.
What stands out is not just what these economists say but that they show up.
What are the different types of economists?
Quick answer: Economists differ along four dimensions: the methods they use, how they think about the economy, what they study, and where they apply their ideas. No single dimension defines an economist.
When students ask how to differentiate economists, I tell them to stop looking for one defining feature. I break it down into four dimensions:
The methods they use — for example, someone using econometrics or data analysis to study inflation
How they think about the economy — for example, approaching a problem from a free-market perspective or a behavioral lens
What they study — for example, focusing on energy markets, labor, or financial systems
Where they apply their ideas — for example, working in academia, advising governments, or working in the corporate sector
Not all economists do the same job. The directory below is organized by the third dimension, which is what they study.
The directory: named economists on Substack
Macroeconomics and economic policy
Paul Krugman — Nobel laureate, professor at the CUNY Graduate Center, and former New York Times columnist; writes notes on economics.
Justin Wolfers — Professor of economics and public policy at the University of Michigan, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, and author of an introductory economics textbook; writes Platypus Economics.
John H. Cochrane — Economist at the Hoover Institution; writes The Grumpy Economist.
Claudia Sahm — Former Federal Reserve and White House economist and founder of Sahm Consulting; writes Stay-At-Home Macro (SAHM) on macroeconomics and economic policy.
Ernie Tedeschi — Chief Economist at Stripe, nonresident senior fellow at The Budget Lab at Yale, and former Chief Economist at the White House Council of Economic Advisers.
Laurence Kotlikoff — Boston University economist and author of Money Magic; writes Economics Matters.
Josh Hendrickson — Professor and Chair of the Department of Economics at the University of Mississippi; writes Economic Forces.
Luca Fornaro — Researcher at CREI and professor at the Barcelona School of Economics; writes Macroeconomics from Europe.
Spyros Andreopoulos — Economist and consultant who formerly conducted monetary policy analysis at the European Central Bank; writes Thin Ice Macroeconomics on macro and markets.
Anthony Chan — Former Chase Chief Economist with a PhD in economics; writes The People’s Economist.
Anirban Basu — CEO of Sage Policy Group and chief economist to a number of organizations; writes Sage Economics.
Jim Paulsen — PhD economist and former chief investment strategist; writes Paulsen Perspectives on the economy and financial markets.
Kathryn Anne Edwards — Economist and co-host of Optimist Economy, a podcast on how to make the U.S. economy better.
David Peez — Practitioner economist and New Zealand–based business owner; writes The Rebel Economist on economic policy through a Modern Monetary Theory lens.
Andrew Jonelis — Economics professor focused on economic development and institutions; Force in the Game covers macroeconomics, political economy, and geoeconomics.
Michael Testa — Economist and founder of Nature Economy Jobs; Bloomsbury Macro covers macro, AI, and markets.
Abdullah Al Bahrani — Award-winning economist and professor; Decode Econ explains economic news and what it means for readers.
Chris Clarke — Assistant professor at Washington State University; writes on the economy, public policy, and current events.
Carlos Chavez — Peruvian economist.
David Owen and Marchel Alexandrovich — Co-write Saltmarsh Economics on Bank of England and ECB policy, the UK and European economies, and climate change. Owen is the former Chief European Economist at Jefferies; Alexandrovich is a former Senior Economist at Jefferies.
Michael J. Hicks — Eldon R. Lindsey Professor of Economics and Director of the School of Business at Shenandoah University; writes The Country Economist on economic and policy analysis for overlooked regions, including recent work on data centers and housing.
Nicolás Cachanosky — Associate Professor of Economics at The University of Texas at El Paso; writes Economic Order on monetary policy and institutions, with a focus on Argentina’s central bank reform, the IMF, and economic freedom.
Jacob Vigdor — Economist, professor of public policy and governance at the University of Washington, and research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research; writes Jacob’s Substack, offering even-handed takes on partisan issues.
Labor markets
Gad Levanon — Chief Economist at the Burning Glass Institute; writes Labor Matters on labor markets and economic insights.
Guy Berger — Workforce economist in residence at Guild, senior advisor on labor markets at Access/Macro, and senior fellow at the Burning Glass Institute; writes MacroMostly.
Finance, housing, and household decisions
Arpit Gupta — Associate Professor of Finance at NYU Stern; Arpitrage covers finance, real estate, and urban economics.
Claes Bäckman — Economist working on AI, housing, mortgages, and savings decisions.
Carly Urban — Economics professor who studies financial education and decision-making.
Hans Stegeman — Chief Economist at Triodos Bank; writes System Economics.
Environment, energy, climate, and agriculture
Matthew E. Kahn — Provost Professor of Economics at the University of Southern California and Visiting Fellow at the Hoover Institution; writes on environmental and urban economics.
Richard Tol — Economist writing Tol Tales on climate change, energy, and the environment.
Greg Ibendahl — Agricultural economist tracking U.S. row crops and farm input costs; writes Agricultural Economics.
Thomas Fridrich — Writes Resource Economist on power and energy markets, including monthly analyses of German day-ahead electricity prices and battery storage spreads.
Aaron Smith — Gordon Rausser Distinguished Chair and Professor of Agricultural and Resource Economics; writes Ag Data News on agriculture, energy, and environmental economics, using public data to tackle questions like climate damages, corn-based jet fuel, and California’s dairy and fuel policy.
Mahelet G. Fikru — Professor of Economics at Missouri University of Science and Technology; writes on energy, natural resources, technology, and sustainability.
Econometrics, data, and machine learning
Scott Cunningham — Professor at Baylor University and author of Causal Inference: The Mixtape; teaches causal inference, econometrics, and applied empirical research.
Erdener Emin Eker — PhD candidate in economics researching machine learning; curates a monthly digest of new ML and AI research from more than 100 economics journals.
Austin Denteh — Applied econometrician at Davidson College working on health, education, and development economics; writes Methods Matter, on putting econometric theory into practice.
Economics education and higher education
Jay Akridge and David Hummels — Co-write Finding Equilibrium, a weekly, data-driven newsletter on the future of higher education from two economists and veteran academic leaders; Akridge is a Purdue University faculty member and former administrator.
Jadrian Wooten — Economics educator and researcher at Virginia Tech; Monday Morning Economist explains economics through current events and pop culture.
John Kruggel — Director of the JMU Center for Economics and lecturer at James Madison University; writes Teaching Econ in Stereo on economic education.
Jordan Peeples — PhD economist from the University of Pennsylvania; uses economics research to answer popular questions.
Cameron Belt — Economist and former regional rideshare executive at Uber and Lyft; Economics For... makes economic thinking practical for different roles.
Jessica Hoel — Associate Professor of Economics at Colorado College; writes The Liberal Arts Ledger, which uses basic economics to explain how liberal arts colleges finance and organize themselves.
Inequality, political economy, history, and hidden markets
Branko Milanovic — Economist; writes Global Inequality and More 3.0.
Deirdre Nansen McCloskey — Economist and historian.
Mariana Mazzucato — Professor at University College London and founding director of the UCL Institute for Innovation & Public Purpose; author of The Entrepreneurial State and Mission Economy.
Jostein Hauge — Political economist and assistant professor at the University of Cambridge, author of The Future of the Factory; writes Global Currents.
Michael Prunka — Writes Enough on hunger, inequality, and the economics of everyday life.
Varun Gupta — The “Knotty” Economist, on illicit markets from counterfeiting and corruption to smuggling and cybercrime.
Monthly editions
March 2026 — the first names on the list
April 2026 — more names, including recommendations from readers
Frequently asked questions
Which economists write on Substack?
Named economists on Substack include Paul Krugman, Justin Wolfers, John H. Cochrane, Claudia Sahm, Laurence Kotlikoff, Branko Milanovic, Deirdre Nansen McCloskey, Mariana Mazzucato, Scott Cunningham, and Matthew E. Kahn. The full list of 50, with what each one studies, is in the directory above.
Are there economics newsletters written by actual economists?
Yes. Everyone in this directory writes under their real name. Many are university faculty. Others are current or former economists at the Federal Reserve, the European Central Bank, the White House Council of Economic Advisers, or private companies.
Which economists on Substack write about labor markets?
Gad Levanon of the Burning Glass Institute writes Labor Matters, and Guy Berger writes MacroMostly.
Which economists on Substack write about climate, energy, and agriculture?
Matthew E. Kahn writes on environmental and urban economics, Richard Tol on climate change, energy, and the environment, Greg Ibendahl on agricultural economics, Thomas Fridrich on power and energy markets, David Owen and Marchel Alexandrovich on climate change, and I write on energy, natural resources, technology, and sustainability.
Which economists on Substack write about teaching economics?
Jadrian Wooten, John Kruggel, Jay Akridge, David Hummels, and Jessica Hoel write about economic education and the future of higher education.
How can I suggest an economist for this list?
If you know an economist, share their link in the comments. If you are an economist who uses your real name on Substack, share your work in the comments section.
How about me? 😊 I write the Liberal Arts Ledger about higher education and teaching economics.
Hi Mahelet - Just came across your list of economists. I - David Owen - and my colleague Marchel Alexandrovich post several times a month under our own names and Saltmarsh Economics, focused on the BoE/UK, ECB/Europe and climate change. We have also developed an index - the SECI - ranking sovereigns on climate grounds.