Even though the income and substitution effects work in opposite directions for inferior goods, we still expect quantity demanded to decrease when price rises and quantity demanded to increase when price falls.

    In the case of inferior goods the substitution effect is simply larger than the income effect so that the total change in quantity demanded moves in the opposite direction of the change in price. All else being equal, this would mean that demand for inferior goods tends to be more inelastic than demand for normal goods. Quantity demanded simply doesn't change as much when the income and substitution effects work in opposite directions.

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