Non-excludable goods are defined in economics as goods whereby it is impossible to stop a person consuming that good when it has become publicly available at a relatively low cost. Non-excludable types of goods include public goods and common pool goods.

Examples

A well-architected building, such as the Eiffel Tower, creates an aesthetic good, which can be enjoyed by anyone who happens to look at it. It is difficult to prevent people from gaining this benefit (although people have tried, by forbidding amateurs from taking photographs of certain sites ^*)

An idea, such as turning a garbage bag into a raincoat, can be used by anyone who knows about it.

See also

• Rivalrous

Goods