DIW Economic Bulletin

Ganzes Heft

Gender Gaps in Pensions and Health: Germany, France, and Denmark

This study quantifies gender-specific differences in retirement income in Germany, Denmark, and France. We show that the “gender pension gap” in Germany is higher than in France and much higher than in Denmark. This ranking is similar to the ranking in the gender pay gap, where Germany has also the highest gender difference. The authors also investigate gender-specific differences in health, i.e. the ...

Gender Pay Gap Varies Greatly by Occupation

The German labor market is characterized by marked occupational segregation between women and men. The median earnings in female dominated occupations are lower than those in male dominated professions. This is one of the reasons for the gender pay gap. However, there are also large differences in earnings between men and women within occupations. These profession-specific gender pay gaps are smaller ...

There Is a Lot Left to Do to Reach Gender Equality in Germany: Editorial

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Day Care Centers: Family Expenditures Increased Significantly at Some Points between 1996 and 2015

Private household expenditures on child care in centers have significantly risen: from an average of 98 euros per month in 2005 to just under 171 euros in 2015 for a child under three and for children three and older (“Kindergarten”1 age group), from 71 to 97 euros in the period between 1996 and 2015. At the same time, more and more households are completely exempt from paying fees for day care. However, ...

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Financial Literacy Promotes Financial Inclusion in Both Poor and Rich Countries

For social and economic reasons, national economies benefit from the inclusion of as many people as possible in financial services. In a cross country study, the present study shows that financial literacy for the general population promotes financial inclusion. This relationship goes beyond the effect of higher economic or financial development. And the effect of higher levels of financial literacy ...

Ganzes Heft

Renewable Energy Policy: Risk Hedging Is Taking Center Stage

The costs of renewable energy technologies have fallen sharply. Now the financing costs of new installations are playing an increasing role in the overall cost of Germany’s energy transition. This has put the primary focus of support instruments for renewable energy on creating more affordable financing conditions for investments. This report compares the effects of various policy instruments on risk ...

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2016 Heat Monitor: "Second Rent" Lower Despite Higher Heating Energy Consumption

Residential heating is responsible for one-fifth of Germany’s energy consumption. Heating costs were around 562 euros per year for an average apartment in 2016, which is more than a 13th month’s rent minus heating costs (Kaltmiete). These are the findings of the 2016 Heat Monitor, published by the German Institute for Economic Research and ista Deutschland GmbH. The report presents evaluations based ...

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Gender Parity in German Politics: Further Effort Required

Although many political authorities endorse the basic goal of parity between men and women across the board, reality does not yet reflect this in Germany. In the German Bundestag, for example, at present 37.1 percent of representatives are women. Divided among the six parties with the greatest likelihood of being elected to the Bundestag, a total of 1,979 people are running for office in the upcoming ...

Ganzes Heft

German Economy Still Running at High Capacity: DIW Economic Outlook

The German economy is on track for continued growth. Due to the unexpectedly robust first six months of 2017, the German Institute for Economic Research is raising its forecast for GDP growth to 1.9 percent for the current year. This year and arguably for the coming two years, the country’s output will exceed potential output; nonetheless, there is no risk of overheating. Economic growth will slow ...

The World Economy and the Euro Area: Broad-Based Upswing: DIW Economic Outlook

This year and next, global GDP will grow more strongly than expected. The growth rate should be just under four percent. In developed economies, the continuing improvement in the job market situation will drive consumption. Corporate investment activity will also gain momentum. Over the forecast horizon, a slowly rising inflation rate and somewhat tighter monetary policy will gradually slow private ...

German Economy Continues Steady Upswing with no Sign of Overheating: Editorial

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Income, Social Support Networks, Life Satisfaction: Lesbians, Gays, and Bisexuals in Germany

Towards the very end of this legislative period, a cross-caucus parliamentary majority gave same-sex marriage the green light – progress for the legal equality of homosexuals in Germany. This report focuses on the life situations of homosexual and bisexual people in Germany. The careers they pursue, for example, differ from those of heterosexuals. Hourly wages are an area of significant disparity: ...