Krugman was born to a Jewish family,[14] the son of Anita and David Krugman (1924–2013). His paternal grandparents immigrated to the United States in 1922 from Brest, Belarus, at that time a part of Poland.[15] He was born in Albany, New York, and grew up in Merrick, a hamlet in Nassau County.[16] He graduated from John F. Kennedy High School in Bellmore.[17]
According to Krugman, his interest in economics began with Isaac Asimov's Foundation novels, in which the social scientists of the future use a new science of "psychohistory" to attempt to save civilization. Since present-day science fell far short of "psychohistory", Krugman turned to economics as the next best thing.[18][19]
Krugman has been married twice. His first wife, Robin L. Bergman, is an award-winning designer/artist. He is currently married to Robin Wells, an academic economist who has collaborated on textbooks with Krugman.[20][21][22] Krugman reports that he is a distant relative of conservative journalist David Frum.[23] He has described himself as a "Loner. Ordinarily shy. Shy with individuals."[24] He lives in New York City.[25]
Krugman retired from Princeton University in June 2015 to become a professor at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York and a distinguished scholar at the Graduate Center's Luxembourg Income Study Center.[