The area below the demand curve and above the price line measures:

A) consumer surplus.
B) economic profit.
C) elasticity of demand.
D) the total value obtained from consuming the good or service.

The area below the demand curve and above the price line represents the amount that consumers are willing to pay for a product but did not have to, due to the lower actual price. This is known as consumer surplus, which is the difference between what consumers are willing to pay and what they actually pay.