The Nobel Prize in economic sciences was awarded to Daron Acemoglu , Simon Johnson and James Robinson for work that advanced the understanding of differences in prosperity between countries.

Acemoglu, who was born in Istanbul, and Johnson, who was born in the U.K., are professors of economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Robinson is a professor of economics at the University of Chicago.

Acemoglu and Robinson were co-authors of “Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity and Poverty,” which was first published in 2012.

“I am delighted, it is a real shock and amazing news,” Acemoglu said.

—Updates to follow as news develops.

Write to Paul Hannon at paul.hannon@wsj.com