What type of market structure typically has numerous buyers and sellers, resulting in high competition?

The market structure characterized by numerous buyers and sellers, which leads to high competition, is known as perfect competition. In this type of market, no single buyer or seller has significant control over the price, resulting in prices reflecting the true equilibrium based on supply and demand.

Perfect competition is defined by the presence of many participants, meaning that individual firms must accept the market price as given. This ensures that suppliers continuously strive to offer the best possible products at competitive prices to attract buyers. In addition to the number of buyers and sellers, perfect competition features homogeneous products, where each firm's output is considered a perfect substitute for that of another firm.

Moreover, in perfect competition, there are no barriers to entry or exit, allowing new firms to enter the market freely when profitable opportunities arise and exit when faced with losses. This fluidity further enhances competition among sellers, contributing to efficiency and innovation.

The other market structures, such as monopoly, monopolistic competition, and oligopoly, either have fewer participants, higher barriers to entry, or differentiated products, which inherently reduces the level of competition compared to a perfectly competitive market.