The free rider problem is an economic issue where individuals benefit from a public good or service (like national defense or clean air) without paying for it, because it’s hard to exclude non-payers. This leads to under-provision or non-provision of the good, as people have little incentive to contribute, hoping others will pay, resulting in market failure and unfair burden on contributors. It also appears in groups (like projects) when members don’t do their fair share of work, leading to low productivity and dissatisfaction
