diff --git a/recipes/economist.recipe b/recipes/economist.recipe
index 3280577461..8165f5699c 100644
--- a/recipes/economist.recipe
+++ b/recipes/economist.recipe
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ from mechanize import Request
 
 from calibre import browser
 from calibre.ptempfile import PersistentTemporaryFile
+from calibre.utils.date import parse_only_date
 from calibre.web.feeds.news import BasicNewsRecipe
 
 
@@ -246,6 +247,17 @@ class Economist(BasicNewsRecipe):
         br = BasicNewsRecipe.get_browser(self, *args, **kwargs)
         return br
 
+    def publication_date(self):
+        edition_date = self.recipe_specific_options.get('date')
+        if edition_date and isinstance(edition_date, str):
+            return parse_only_date(edition_date, as_utc=False)
+        try:
+            url = self.browser.open('https://www.economist.com/printedition').geturl()
+        except Exception as e:
+            self.log('Failed to fetch publication date with error: ' + str(e))
+            return super().publication_date()
+        return parse_only_date(url.split('/')[-1], as_utc=False)
+
     def economist_return_index(self, ans):
         if not ans:
             raise NoArticles(
diff --git a/recipes/economist_free.recipe b/recipes/economist_free.recipe
index 3280577461..8165f5699c 100644
--- a/recipes/economist_free.recipe
+++ b/recipes/economist_free.recipe
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ from mechanize import Request
 
 from calibre import browser
 from calibre.ptempfile import PersistentTemporaryFile
+from calibre.utils.date import parse_only_date
 from calibre.web.feeds.news import BasicNewsRecipe
 
 
@@ -246,6 +247,17 @@ class Economist(BasicNewsRecipe):
         br = BasicNewsRecipe.get_browser(self, *args, **kwargs)
         return br
 
+    def publication_date(self):
+        edition_date = self.recipe_specific_options.get('date')
+        if edition_date and isinstance(edition_date, str):
+            return parse_only_date(edition_date, as_utc=False)
+        try:
+            url = self.browser.open('https://www.economist.com/printedition').geturl()
+        except Exception as e:
+            self.log('Failed to fetch publication date with error: ' + str(e))
+            return super().publication_date()
+        return parse_only_date(url.split('/')[-1], as_utc=False)
+
     def economist_return_index(self, ans):
         if not ans:
             raise NoArticles(