Process / pipelineeconomic evaluation framework

Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA)

Cost-benefit analysis compares the total monetary value of benefits produced by a program against its total monetary costs, reporting net present value (NPV) or benefit-cost ratio (BCR). Rooted in welfare economics and used extensively in public policy (transportation, environmental, education, health), CBA answers the question: 'Is this program worth doing from a societal perspective?' Unlike cost-effectiveness analysis, CBA monetizes both costs and benefits, enabling comparison across disparate program types.

Apply with EconMindSoonVideoSoon

Read the full method

Members only

Sign in with a free account to read this section.

Sign in

Sources

  1. Boardman, A. E., Greenberg, D. H., Vining, A. R., & Weimer, D. L. (2018). Cost-Benefit Analysis: Concepts and Practice (5th ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. link
  2. Layard, R., & Glaister, S. (Eds.). (2003). Cost-Benefit Analysis (2nd ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. link
  3. Drummond, M. F., Sculpher, M. J., Claxton, K., Stoddart, G. L., & Torrance, G. W. (2015). Methods for the Economic Evaluation of Health Care Programmes (4th ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. link

Related methods

Referenced by

ScholarGateCost-Benefit Analysis (Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA)). Retrieved 2026-06-04 from https://scholargate.app/en/health-economics/cost-benefit-analysis