Karl Pribram was born in Prague (then part of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire). He studied law at the universities of Prague, Breslau, Berlin and Vienna. In 1900 he graduated as Dr. of jurisprudence from the University of Prague. In 1907 started working at the University of Vienna and from 1914 became associate professor. From 1909 to 1921 he was an Austrian civil servant, ultimately Ministerialrat. From 1921 to 1928 he was director of statistics at the International Labor Office, Geneva; from 1928 to 1933 professor of economics at the University of Frankfurt/Main, Germany.
In 1933 Pribram left for Mexico and in the same year immigrated to the USA. He was member of a research staff at Brookings Institute, Washington, DC, till 1936, from 1936 to 1942 he served as economics expert at Social Security Board, and from 1942 to 1951 as chief economist at the US Tariff Commission. At the same time Pribram was Ass. Professor at American University, Washington, DC, from 1939 to 1952. Pribram conducted research primarily on economic theory and political economy and excelled as sociologist and social philosopher.
Karl Pribram was a member of the International Statistical Institute; of the International Sociological Association; the Economic Society; the American Economists Association, and other organizations.
His main publications include Geschichte der oesterreichischen Gewerbpolitik (1907); Die Entschehungen der individualistischen Socialphilosophie (Leipzig, 1912); Probleme der internationalen Arbeitstatistik (Jena, 1925); Probleme der internationalen Socialpolitik (Leipzig, 1927); Cartel Problems (1935); and Conflicting Patterns of Thought (1949).