The American Economic Review (AER) is a highly influential, monthly peer-reviewed academic journal and a central institution in the field of economics. It is widely regarded as one of the "top five" journals globally for publishing original economics research.
The journal was first published in March 1911 by the American Economic Association (AEA), which was founded in 1885. Its creation was a response to the expansion of the economics profession, which necessitated a dedicated platform to publish a growing volume of scholarly research, shifting its focus from a multi-purpose publication to one primarily for original research papers.
The AER publishes 12 issues per year and operates a rigorous mechanism of single-blind peer review. The editorial process is extremely selective, with an estimated desk-rejection rate of approximately 45 percent of submissions and an acceptance rate of roughly 6 to 8 percent. A key provision introduced in 2004 requires authors to provide the data and code sufficient to permit replication of their results, which is then made publicly available.
The AER connects directly to the American Economic Association (AEA) and its family of specialized journals, such as AER: Insights and the American Economic Journal (AEJ) series. It covers a broad spectrum of topics classified by the JEL codes, including Microeconomics (D), Macroeconomics (E), and Economic Development (O). The journal has published research with direct relevance to India, such as a 1971 paper on Indian Agriculture and a 2024 paper on the economic impact of depression treatment in India. A recent change is the establishment of the sister journal, AER: Insights, which serves as a cascade option for high-impact short papers that are rejected from the main AER.