A prospering economy raises the standard of living of the population, creates jobs and fills the state coffers, from which tasks such as education, environmental protection and social security are financed.
About the topic
Over the past 60 years, the social market economy has enabled the citizens of the Federal Republic to increase their nominal income fivefold on average. Even though prosperity has grown considerably over the long term, economic setbacks have had to be endured time and again, because economic growth does not proceed uniformly, but in waves. The yardsticks for economic development include consumption, public and private investment and gross domestic product. A positive economic trend with high growth rates and increasing employment is followed by a downturn with low growth and fewer people in work.
The Institute of the German Economy monitors the current economic situation in Germany and economic developments in other countries using various instruments and regularly publishes economic forecasts. In this way, the IW helps to improve the basis for decision-making in politics and business.
Jürgen Matthes in Intereconomics External Publication 9. April 2024
China’s Trade Surplus – Implications for the World and for Europe
China’s merchandise trade surplus has reached an all-time high and is likely to rise further. A key driver appears to be a policy push to further bolster Chinese domestic manufacturing production, implying the danger of significant overcapacities.
Thomas Obst / Jürgen Matthes / Samina Sultan IW-Report No. 14 4. March 2024
What if Trump is re-elected?
A possible re-election of Donald Trump as US president in November 2024 could entail a significant upheaval for the world trading order, if he fulfills his announcements to raise tariffs, mainly in order to reduce the US trade deficit.
Samina Sultan / Gero Kunath / Henrik Förster/ Jürgen Matthes IW-Report No. 9 15. February 2024
Indonesia: A new Indo-Pacific partner?
Indonesia will elect a new president on 14 February. After ten successful years in office, Joko Widodo is not allowed to run for office again. He has ushered in an era of reform in the country.
Samina Sultan / Gero Kunath / Henrik Förster/ Jürgen Matthes IW
Jürgen Matthes in The European Money and Finance Forum External Publication 18. January 2024
Competition from China in the EU market for Germany’s manufacturing sector
China has continuously gained market shares in the EU import market since 2000. At the same time, Germany’s share in EU imports has declined since 2005. This divergence is particularly relevant for sophisticated manufacturing products in which Germany is ...
Jürgen Matthes in The European Money and Finance Forum IW
Dependency of the German and Italian Industry on China Intermediate Inputs
External Publication
17. April 2024
Not so Different?:
Dependency of the German and Italian Industry on China Intermediate Inputs
Samina Sultan at IEP@BU Policy Brief
On average the German and Italian industry display a very similar intermediate input dependence on China, whether accounting for domestic inputs or not.
China’s Trade Surplus – Implications for the World and for Europe
External Publication
9. April 2024
China’s Trade Surplus – Implications for the World and for Europe
Jürgen Matthes in Intereconomics
China’s merchandise trade surplus has reached an all-time high and is likely to rise further. A key driver appears to be a policy push to further bolster Chinese domestic manufacturing production, implying the danger of significant overcapacities.
Despite certain changes, German import dependencies on China remained at a similar level overall in 2023 as in the previous year in the overall picture. This means that de-risking on the import side can only be recognised to a limited extent.
Christian Rusche / Thilo Schaefer in Intereconomics
Ursula von der Leyen was elected President of the European Commission by the European Parliament in July 2019. She assumed office in November 2019 and unveiled the European Green Deal in December 2019 (European Commission, 2023a) as a focal point of European politics.
Christian Rusche / Thilo Schaefer in Intereconomics
IW
At the latest since the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine and the decision to open accession talks with the country, the topic of enlargement has once again become much more important for the European Union (EU).
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