Definition
The economic condition where available supply is strictly limited relative to total demand, establishing a steep upward-sloping supply curve and high price inelasticity.
In Panel Profits
The total verified surviving population of a specific comic book issue recorded across third-party grading service registries (CGC, CBCS). Universal census scarcity directly dictates the price ceiling and auction turnover velocity for sovereign benchmark issues.
Comic-market example
Action Comics #1 has fewer than 100 copies authenticated on public census registries, producing extreme census scarcity where even low-grade 1.0 copies command seven-figure sums.
Calculation
Census Rarity Index = Certified Census Population / Estimated Original Print Run
Common mistakes
Never treat raw uncertified dealer estimates as verified census population.