 Absolute advantage refers to when a party can produce more of a good or service with the same amount of resources than another party.
 For instance, if country A is able to manufacture 100 tons of wheat with the same resources for which country B can make only 50 tons, then it means that there is an absolute advantage of producing wheat for country A.

 Country A should specialize in the production of wheat and export it as trade for wine from Country B.
 Country B should specialize in wine production and export it as trade for wheat from Country A.
This, both countries end up benefiting with more wheat and wine than they could have produced on their own
Comparative Advantage vs. Absolute Advantage
It is also important to understand how comparative advantage differs from absolute advantage, another very important economic concept.

• Both countries have the same opportunity costs, but the decision comes down to specialization based on the good they can produce more efficiently relative to the other.
• Country A has a comparative advantage in producing wheat because it has to give up less wine to produce wheat compared to Country B.
• Country B is comparative advantageous in wine production because it has to give up fewer tons of wheat to produce wine compared to Country A.

It enables access to more varied goods and, thereby improves consumers' choice and their level of living standards. Growth in and development of economics can also be achieved due to the principle of comparative advantage; because this principle supports countries that promote efficiency and innovations of certain industries for better results in which a nation compares them with the best they have.

Maximization of total output: Specialization maximizes the total output. By concentrating on the production of goods in which a party has a comparative advantage, it can produce more goods than if they had attempted to produce everything by themselves.
Lowered opportunity cost: By specializing and trading, the parties will be able to lower the opportunity cost of producing goods. This results in better resource utilization.

Advantages of comparative advantage are extensive and extend from the individual producer level to whole economies:-
It increases efficiency. Countries, companies, or individuals can concentrate on goods for which they are most efficient, thus getting the most from their resources. It thus leads to more production overall and a greater wealth base.

Comparative advantage is the reason why consumers get lower prices because it allows for producing goods in large quantities, which would otherwise be impossible to produce. As countries specialize and trade, they provide consumers with a wider variety of goods and services at lower prices than they would have otherwise.

Even if a country is less efficient at producing both goods, it can still benefit from trade. For instance, if one country is much better at producing one good and the other country is better at producing a different good, both can benefit by specializing and exchanging goods.

By specializing and trading based on comparative advantage, each producer increases his total output. This maximizes the total amount of goods available in the economy and improves living standards for everyone involved.
Gains from Trade
Even if a country is less efficient at producing both goods, it can still benefit from trade. For instance

Specialization of countries or individuals on the basis of their comparative advantage can help in the better allocation of resources. For example, if one country is relatively better at producing a particular good (due to climate, labor force, or technology), it can specialize in that good, while the other country specializes in the good it can produce more efficiently. The outcome is higher total output and greater global economic welfare.

• Country B's opportunity cost of producing 1 ton of wheat is 0.5 bottles of wine, because 60 bottles of wine / 120 tons of wheat.

• Country B's opportunity cost of producing 1 bottle of wine is 2 tons of wheat, because 120 tons of wheat / 60 bottles of wine.

Why is Comparative Advantage Important?
The principle of comparative advantage explains why specialization and trade lead to a more efficient allocation of resources and higher global welfare. There are several key reasons why comparative advantage is important:-

Looking strictly at the ability to make more of both, it may seem that Country B possesses an absolute advantage over both as it can produce more. BUT it is looking at Opportunity Cost that helps solve our dilemma.
• Country A's opportunity cost of producing 1 ton of wheat is 0.5 bottles of wine (50 bottles of wine / 100 tons of wheat).

• Country A's opportunity cost of producing 1 bottle of wine is 2 tons of wheat (100 tons of wheat / 50 bottles of wine).

• Opportunity cost : The cost, in a particular choice, of giving up the next best alternative.
• Specialization: When the producer specializes in producing the good or service for which they have a comparative advantage.
• Trade: When producers exchange goods or services with others, taking advantage of comparative advantages to maximize efficiency and benefits.

The concept of comparative advantage was discovered by British economist David Ricardo in 1817. He remains a central figure in modern trade theory. It basically revolves around the idea that a producer is not necessarily more efficient, given that both are producing two different goods, and there could be gains from trade, since they could specialize in that good which has a low opportunity cost for him to produce.

Comparative advantage is one of the core principles in economics that helps explain the basis for trade and specialization. It occurs when a party, whether an individual, business, or country, can produce a good or service at a lower opportunity cost than others. This principle is vital in showing that even though no country or individual can possess an absolute advantage in the production of any good, a country or individual may gain from trade by specializing in those activities for which it or he is relatively best.