A-Level Economics Edexcel A: Case Study 9

Can foreign investment help reduce inequality in developing countries, or do the benefits mainly go to large businesses and wealthier workers?

This Edexcel A-Level Economics A (9EC0) case study explores the impact of foreign direct investment (FDI) on Vietnam’s economy, using real investment data from 2023–2025.

Students will investigate how multinational businesses can create jobs, improve productivity and support economic development, while also considering the effects on income inequality and living standards.

What’s included:

• A one-page case study with a short, accessible extract and real foreign investment data from Vietnam.
• Three original Edexcel-style questions worth 5, 8 and 12 marks (25 marks in total).
• A full mark scheme showing the economic points students could make.
• Clear assessment objective allocations and level descriptors for the extended response.

Specification coverage:

• 4.2.2 Inequality
• 4.3.2 Factors Influencing Growth and Development
• 4.3.3 Strategies Influencing Growth and Development

The questions give students practice explaining how FDI can create employment, examining its effects on income inequality and evaluating whether attracting foreign investment is the best way to improve economic development.

This resource works well for classroom activities, homework, timed exam practice or independent revision. It helps students apply development economics to a real country while building stronger analysis and evaluation skills.

Suitable for Edexcel A-Level Economics A students preparing for the 2027 exams.

Part of our 10-case-study Edexcel Economics A bundle, providing focused exam practice across the specification.