Economics Olympiad 2025 Finals – Spectacular Results from Ancient Olympia!
EFI countries made up 11 of the 28 participating nations, sending 55 bright young economists – and no doubt future leaders – to compete with the best out of 120,000 students worldwide at the International Final Round of the Economics Olympiad, held once again in the inspiring surroundings of the birthplace of the Olympic Games.
While all 55 EFI-supported participants are already winners, the results were nothing short of spectacular! Our teams returned home with 15 medals, including 5 silvers and 6 bronzes, and 4 of the top 10 students and gold medalists hailed from EFI countries – Georgia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan:
1st place: Batyrkhan Mukhtarkhan, Kazakhstan
2nd place: Marufbek Kholmuminov, Uzbekistan
5th place: Markiian Mazur, Ukraine – who won gold for the second consecutive year
10th place: Demetre Ardoteli, Georgia
We are immensely proud of these achievements. Beyond the medals, it’s the stories, dedication, and growth of our students that truly inspire, as well as the commitment of their teachers, the hard work of our country partners, and the unwavering support of our academic mentors – EFI President Randall Filer and Florida State University professors and the members of the EFI academic board Joe Calhoun and Tawni Hunt Ferrarini – who trained the finalists this summer.
For Batyrkhan, a 10th-grade student from the NIS school in Astana and this year’s global winner, the preparations were the highlight:
“I thoroughly enjoyed the bootcamp that EFI organized for Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan – it was so much fun and so helpful!”
Batyrkhan began studying economics in 8th grade, and while this is his third year participating in the Olympiad, it was his first time qualifying for the finals – and what a stellar performance it was!
The Economics Olympiad is not just about competition. In the historic setting of Olympia, students from 28 countries shared ideas, collaborated, and built friendships that transcend borders. Cultural exchange and teamwork were just as important as solving the toughest economic problems, proving that economics is a universal language.
For Marufbek, a graduate from the Navoi region in Uzbekistan, the best part was connecting with other students:
“Though the competition was fierce, we are still friends. I really liked it!”
Recognition extended beyond students. The Teacher of the Year award went to Efraim Sejdija from SHMKM “Nikolla Shtein” school in Tetovo, North Macedonia, while the National Organizer of the Year award was a well-deserved honor for our partner in Ukraine, Bendukidze Free Market Center, which engaged around 19,000 students this year alone – doubling participation from the previous year.
EFI’s growing presence at the Economics Olympiad demonstrates the dedication of our network of country partners in nurturing the future economists and leaders. Step by step, and stronger together, we are empowering the next generation. We look forward to further building on the multi-country base we have established in the teaching community and are excited about what the next year will bring!
We hope that even more students discover that economics isn’t just a subject – it’s a way to explore the world, challenge themselves, and dream bigger than ever before.
Learn more about the Economics Olympiad and join the next round!
