Concept:The basic economic problem of any society is caused by scarcity, which makes choice unavoidable.Explanation:Human wants are unlimited, but the resources available to satisfy them are limited.This limited availability of resources is known as scarcity.Because resources are scarce, every society must choose how to allocate them among competing uses.Therefore, the essential economic problems in a community are directly related to choice and scarcity.Answer:Scarcity.