uneconomic

Uneconomic is an adjective used to describe something that is not economically viable or worth the resources required to produce, operate, or maintain it. In other words, the expected costs exceed the anticipated benefits or revenue, making ongoing investment irrational from an economic standpoint.

The term is commonly applied in business planning, public policy, and engineering decisions. Projects, investments, or activities may be deemed uneconomic when capital costs, operating expenses, or risk-adjusted returns do not justify the expenditure, even if some benefit might be obtained. External factors such as subsidies, market prices, or regulatory changes can alter an activity’s economic viability.

Examples include an aging infrastructure project whose maintenance costs exceed possible tolls, a mining operation with rising extraction costs, or a technology deployment whose life-cycle cost is greater than expected savings. The term stresses cost-benefit balance rather than profitability alone, and what is uneconomic for one context may be economic in another if conditions change.

Synonyms include uneconomical and unprofitable, though there is nuance: uneconomic emphasizes overall cost-effectiveness, while unprofitable focuses on accounting profits. In American English, “not economical” or “not cost-effective” might be preferred; “uneconomic” is more common in British and Commonwealth usage.