DIW Economic Bulletin

Distribution of Refugees Very Uneven among EU Member States - Even When Accounting for Economic Strength and Total Population

The European Union is currently experiencing its largest influx of asylum seekers in years. Yet the distribution of these refugees across the member states is highly uneven: Large countries such as the United Kingdom, France, Italy, and Spain, as well as the Eastern European countries (apart from Hungary), have received relatively few asylum seekers. Far more refugees are headed to Central Europe, ...

Ganzes Heft

The Situation in the Euro Area Continues to Present Risks: Eight Questions to Ferdinand Fichtner

DIW Economic Outlook

The German economy is on track, and will likely grow by 1.8 percent this year; in the coming year, with a slight increase in dynamics, it will grow by 1.9 percent. With these figures DIW Berlin confirms its forecast from this summer. Employment growth continues; the unemployment rate will decrease this year to 6.4 percent, where it will remain in 2016. Due to the sharp drop in oil prices this year, ...

Ganzes Heft

Similar Levels of Political Interest between East and West, Notable Differences in Turnout: Six Questions to Martin Kroh

Political Culture Still Divided 25 Years after Reunification?

In 1990, during reunification, West German democratic institutions and the existing political party system were expanded to the East German states. Even after 25 years, the people of eastern and western Germany still differ in their political engagement and attitudes. However, these differences do not apply across the board by any means. A detailed analysis of survey data from the Socio-Economic Panel ...

Ganzes Heft

Alternative Fuels Have Failed to Meet Expectations: Six Questions to Uwe Kunert

Gasoline and Diesel Will Continue to Dominate in the Future of Road Transport

The transport sector - road transport, in particular - accounts for more than half of world oil consumption. In the future, the transport sector’s share of oil consumption will grow even more, primarily due to the increasing use of motor vehicles in developing and emerging countries. Road freight transport will also take on greater significance. And overall, gasoline - and, increasingly, diesel - will ...

Ganzes Heft

Publicly Funded Research Gaining Ground: Six Questions to Heike Belitz

Growth through Research and Development

DIW Berlin has examined the effects of investment in research and development on economic growth in Germany and other OECD countries. Their results show that an increase of one percentage point in research and development spending in the economy as a whole leads to a short-term average increase in GDP growth of approximately 0.05 to 0.15 percentage points. The coefficient for Germany is at the upper ...

Ganzes Heft

German Investment Behavior Contributes to Real Losses in Net Worth of Households: Six Questions to Markus Grabka

Real Net Worth of Households in Germany Fell between 2003 and 2013

Studies indicating the development of household wealth in Germany are typically based on nominal values and do not take account of price rises and thus the actual purchasing power of those assets. DIW Berlin took inflation into account in a recent evaluation and concluded that the average net worth of households in Germany decreased in real terms by almost 15 percent from 2003 to 2013. This figure, ...

Ganzes Heft

Only One in Eight Workers Is Dissatisfied with His or Her Job: Seven Questions to Karl Brenke

The Vast Majority of Employees in Germany Are Satisfied with Their Jobs

The vast majority of workers rate their professional occupations positively; only one in eight is unhappy with his or her job. This has been the case for the past 20 years. There is little difference in the degree of satisfaction between genders, workers in West Germany and East Germany, or among different age groups. Even the level of compensation and the nature of the work itself do not exert any ...

Ganzes Heft