Companies and Markets

In 2024, the German economy has stagnated, performing at a level that has barely changed since 2019. Its foreign trade is suffering from geopolitical conflicts and the resulting slowdown in the global economy.

Michael Grömling IW

The stagnation of the German economy is entering its sixth year. The economic weakness threatens to turn into a structural crisis. Structural reforms on the supply side must be on the agenda in order to provide the necessary economic policy impetus for more growth.

Hubertus Bardt in Special Edition on Industrial Innovations IW

In a country comparison of international patent applications from the higher education sector, Switzerland excels in efficiency. The USA dominate in terms of the number of patent applications and in the ranking of the 1,767 patent-active universities across the globe. Germany performs well across all categories, placing just behind the USA in efficiency.

Maike Haag / Enno Kohlisch / Oliver Koppel IW

The larger German Mittelstand, i. e. companies above small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) with more than 250 employees and less than 3,000 employees, plays a prominent role in the German economic structure.

Klaus-Heiner Röhl IW

For a long time, the defense industry was not the focus of economic policy debate. The export of weapons and dual-use goods is handled restrictively in Germany. Compared to other countries, spending on equipment for the Bundeswehr was low, which put the industry under pressure.

Hubertus Bardt IW