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.
Michelle Koenen / Gero Kunath / Thomas Obst IW-Report No. 40 11. August 2022
Europe on the brink of recession?
The European Union is facing one of its biggest crises since the financial crisis of 2008. The pandemic started in 2020 and led to a historical economic downturn in the second quarter of that year.
Manuel Fritsch / Christoph Schröder IW-Trends No. 2 4. July 2022
The impact of disrupted production on producer prices in Germany
From 2020 to 2021 the producer prices of manufactured goods in Germany increased by 6 per cent. However, price hikes accelerated during 2021, a development which has continued into 2022.
Mutual dependence in trade between China, the EU and Germany
An inventory of the mutual dependencies in foreign trade between the EU and Germany on the one hand and China and Russia on the other is necessary in order to be able to make political deductions in these times of “Zeitenwende” on a sound empirical basis.
Compendium 5.2: CO2 Regulation of Road Transport in Europe
Thomas Puls
With the Compendium CO2 Regulation in Europe, the IW has been providing the interested public with a comprehensive collection of data on the development of CO2 emissions from passenger car traffic in the European Union, as well as on the applicable regulatory framework, since 2015.
The European Union is facing one of its biggest crises since the financial crisis of 2008. The pandemic started in 2020 and led to a historical economic downturn in the second quarter of that year.
The Importance of the Data Economy for Europe’s Digital Strategic Autonomy
Jan Büchel / Barbara Engels in European Liberal Forum
European companies need to have the ability to store, process, use, and share data securely and autonomously, for example by using cloud services based on agreed quality standards, values, and legislation.
Jan Büchel / Barbara Engels in European Liberal Forum IW
The impact of disrupted production on producer prices in Germany
Manuel Fritsch / Christoph Schröder
From 2020 to 2021 the producer prices of manufactured goods in Germany increased by 6 per cent. However, price hikes accelerated during 2021, a development which has continued into 2022.
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German Economic Institute (IW) 
