Why is total cost greater than average variable cost?

Total cost is greater than average variable cost because total cost includes both variable costs and fixed costs, while average variable cost only accounts for variable costs per unit of output. Fixed costs remain constant regardless of the level of production, which means they contribute to the overall total cost but do not affect the average variable cost calculation. As production increases, the average variable cost may decrease due to spreading the variable costs over more units, but the total cost continues to rise. Therefore, total cost will always exceed average variable cost due to the inclusion of fixed costs.