Eco-Social Market Economy

An eco-social market economy is a democratic, mixed-economy framework that combines market coordination, social protection, and ecological sustainability.

What it is

• Democratic political system with rule of law and civil rights
• Market-based economy with private ownership and competition
• Social protections to reduce poverty, insecurity, and extreme inequality
• Environmental limits and long-term ecological goals integrated into policy
• Public goods and infrastructure funded collectively
• Mixture of public, private, and cooperative institutions
• Policies adjusted pragmatically based on evidence and outcomes

Common features in practice

• Universal or near-universal healthcare coverage
• Strong labor and workplace protections
• Income support and social insurance (unemployment, disability, pensions)
• Subsidized or public education, including university or vocational training
• Climate and environmental regulations and targets
• Consumer and data-protection rules
• Progressive taxation to fund shared services

What it is not

• Not pure laissez-faire capitalism
• Not comprehensive state socialism
• Not libertarian minimal-state philosophy
• Not authoritarian or one-party rule
• Not growth-at-all-costs without ecological limits

Related models

• Social market economy
• Social democracy
• Welfare-state capitalism
• Green or ecological social democracy
• Nordic model (as one regional example)

Short description

A mixed economic system in which markets, social protections, and ecological sustainability are treated as co-equal pillars of a democratic society.