On Decommodification
Should anyone be denied care, shelter, or education because they can’t afford it?
Decommodification is the process of removing basic human needs from the control of market forces. In our current system, essential goods like healthcare, housing, and education are treated as commodities—things you must buy if you can afford them. The commodification of these needs leaves millions of people excluded or inadequately served, simply because they cannot pay. This creates an unjust society where inequality is built into the very structure of how people access the basics of life.
But decommodification changes this by shifting the logic away from profit and toward human need. It means:
Healthcare is guaranteed to all: You don’t need to buy insurance, navigate complex billing systems, or risk bankruptcy from an unexpected illness. Healthcare becomes a public good, provided freely at the point of use.
Housing is guaranteed to all: No longer subject to the speculative whims of the real estate market, housing is treated as a basic right. Whether you’re rich or poor, housing is provided as a public good, and everyone is guaranteed a safe and stable place to live.
Education is guaranteed to all: From early childhood through higher education, learning is treated as a public good. Students are not burdened with debt, and education is no longer a privilege of the wealthy.
Utilities like water, electricity, and the internet are public goods: They are guaranteed to everyone, ensuring no one is excluded from accessing the resources essential to survival and meaningful participation in society.
Decommodification transforms basic services from commodities—things you must buy in order to survive—into rights, things you are guaranteed because you are a human being.
Why Decommodification Is a Moral Imperative
At its heart, decommodification is not just an economic shift—it is a moral demand. The commodification of basic needs is a fundamental assault on human dignity. When a person’s access to healthcare, housing, or education is determined by their wealth, we accept a society that deems some lives more valuable than others.
We have to ask ourselves: Should someone’s ability to live a healthy, secure, and meaningful life really depend on their financial resources? Should anyone be denied care, shelter, or education simply because they can’t afford it?
Decommodification answers these questions with a resounding “No.” It insists that human dignity must be prioritized over profit. By removing the profit motive from essential services, decommodification:
Ensures Universal Human Dignity: Everyone, regardless of their income, has access to the things that make life livable. Decommodification insists that basic human rights are not conditional on economic status.
Guarantees Equality: It eliminates the structural inequality inherent in market systems, where the wealthy can purchase better services and the poor are left with nothing or inadequate options.
Frees People from Market Dependency: When essential services are decommodified, people are no longer subject to the volatility of markets to meet their basic needs. They don’t have to worry about rent increases, medical bills, or tuition fees—they can focus on living their lives with security and dignity.
Commodifying basic needs not only perpetuates inequality, but it reinforces the notion that only the wealthy are deserving of comfort, health, and education. Decommodification challenges this by insisting that these goods belong to all of us, not to the highest bidder.
Decommodification in Action: Real-World Models
Decommodification may seem like a radical idea in some contexts, but the truth is, it is already working in many places around the world. Countries that prioritize basic human needs over market profits provide clear examples of how decommodification leads to better outcomes for everyone. Let’s explore some of the most prominent examples of decommodification already in action:
1. Healthcare in the UK: The National Health Service (NHS)
The United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS) is one of the most well-known examples of decommodified healthcare. Created in 1948, the NHS provides healthcare to all UK residents, free at the point of use, funded by taxes. No one in the UK is denied medical care because they cannot afford it, and no one goes bankrupt due to medical bills.
The NHS shows that decommodified healthcare works. According to The Commonwealth Fund, countries with universal healthcare systems like the NHS achieve better health outcomes at a lower cost per capita than countries like the U.S., where healthcare remains commodified. Not only do people live healthier lives under these systems, but the financial burden on individuals is also dramatically reduced.
2. Affordable Housing in Vienna: Social Housing
In Vienna, Austria, the government has long recognized that housing is a fundamental need. Approximately 60% of Vienna’s population lives in social housing, which is either government-owned or heavily subsidized to keep rents affordable. This system ensures that housing is not treated as a commodity to be speculated on or exploited for profit.
Vienna’s social housing system is not about providing bare-bones shelters. These apartments are high-quality, well-maintained, and available to people of all income levels. Because housing is decommodified, everyone has access to affordable housing, regardless of income, and the city consistently ranks as one of the most livable in the world.
3. Free Education in Germany: Tuition-Free Universities
Germany offers another clear example of decommodification with its tuition-free university system. In Germany, both domestic and international students can attend public universities without paying tuition fees. The government has made a clear decision to treat education as a public good, accessible to all, not as a commodity that can only be bought by those with wealth.
Germany’s commitment to decommodified education ensures that no one is priced out of pursuing their academic and professional goals. This not only creates a more educated population but also reduces inequality by ensuring that people from lower-income backgrounds have the same opportunities as their wealthier peers.
The Limits of Commodification and the Promise of Decommodification
In the commodified world, access to life’s most basic necessities is controlled by market forces. Whether it’s healthcare, housing, or education, these goods are distributed according to wealth, with the best services reserved for those who can afford to pay the most. This results in stark inequalities, where the wealthy enjoy access to premium goods and services, while millions of others are left without.
The impact of commodification is devastating:
Healthcare: In countries where healthcare is commodified, like the U.S., medical debt is one of the leading causes of bankruptcy. People go without essential treatment because they can’t afford to see a doctor, or they delay care, leading to worse health outcomes.
Housing: In commodified housing markets, homes are treated as investments rather than places to live. This drives up rents and home prices, pushing millions into housing precarity or outright homelessness.
Education: Commodifying education creates massive barriers to access. In countries with high tuition fees, like the U.S., students from lower-income backgrounds are often priced out of higher education or graduate with crushing debt.
Decommodification offers a solution to these problems. It removes basic human needs from the marketplace and makes them public rights, ensuring that everyone, regardless of income, can access the essentials they need to live a dignified life. When we decommodify these goods, we create a society where:
Everyone has security: No one needs to worry about where their next meal will come from, whether they can pay rent, or if they can afford medical care.
Equality is prioritized: By making essential services available to all, we reduce the inequality that results from commodification.
Freedom is enhanced: People are no longer trapped by market forces and can pursue their passions, education, and career goals without being burdened by financial concerns.
Why "Decommodification" Is the Precise Term for Our Time
In the discourse around social and economic justice, many terms are used—socialism, anti-capitalism, progressivism—but none capture the specific issue of market dependency as clearly as decommodification. Here’s why decommodification is the precise language we need to address these urgent issues:
It’s Clear and Specific: Unlike broad terms like “socialism” or “progressivism,” decommodification focuses specifically on removing basic human needs from market forces. It is not about broad ideological changes, but specific, actionable shifts.
It Avoids Ideological Baggage: Terms like “socialism” or “anti-capitalism” come with
political and historical baggage that can alienate some people. Decommodification is a neutral term that doesn’t carry the same ideological weight, making it more accessible across the political spectrum.
It’s Resistant to Co-optation: Because decommodification is so specific, it cannot easily be diluted or co-opted by political actors who wish to water down its meaning. It’s not about making healthcare or education more affordable; it’s about removing these goods from the marketplace entirely.
It Points Toward Concrete Solutions: Rather than being a vague critique of capitalism or markets, decommodification points directly toward specific solutions—universal healthcare, affordable housing, and free education.
Building the Future: How to Achieve Decommodification
Decommodification isn’t just a theoretical concept—it’s an actionable path toward a more just and equitable society. But how do we get there?
Support Policy Changes: Push for laws that decommodify essential goods like healthcare, housing, and education. This means advocating for universal healthcare, rent control, public housing projects, and tuition-free education.
Build Local and International Movements: Decommodification requires broad-based movements that can push governments and institutions to act. We must create local movements that demand public housing, healthcare reform, and free education. We should also foster international solidarity, learning from successful decommodification models in other countries.
Reframe the Conversation: We need to change how we talk about basic human needs. Healthcare, housing, and education should not be considered consumer goods—they are rights. By shifting public discourse, we can build broader support for decommodification.
A World Where Basic Needs Are Public Rights
The commodification of basic human needs has created a world where too many people go without. Housing, healthcare, education, and utilities are treated as products to be bought and sold, leaving millions behind simply because they cannot afford them. Decommodification offers us a way out of this destructive cycle. By removing these goods from the market and treating them as public rights, we can create a world where everyone has the security, freedom, and dignity they deserve.
This is not a distant dream—it is already happening in many places around the world. Countries like the UK, Germany, and Austria have decommodified essential services, and their societies are better for it. Now is the time for us to expand these efforts and demand a world where no one has to buy their right to live.
Let’s work together to build a future where basic needs are guaranteed for all. The time to act is now.