DIW Weekly Report

Rental Market Regulation over the Last 100 Years in an International Comparison

Residential rental markets regulations have become an integral part of everyday life in Germany as in almost all other countries. The strong house price and rent increases over the past decade have fueled social debate on this issue. Tenant movements worldwide are demanding tighter regulations and advocating for affordable housing as a central civil right. In contrast, those skeptical of regulation ...

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EU Immigration Has Increased Germany’s Economic Growth

Immigration to Germany has increased significantly since 2011, primarily due to the immigration of citizens from other euro area countries and those which joined the EU in 2004 and 2007. This increase is mainly attributable to a lack of immigration barriers and the good economic situation on the German labor market compared to other European countries. Model simulations show that GDP growth in Germany ...

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A Sustainable Development of Inflation in Euro Area Requires Continuously Improving Labor Market

In the past five years, the inflation in the euro area has been well below the European Central Bank’s (ECB) aimed inflation rate of close to but below two percent for achieving its objective of price stabilization in the medium term. The present analysis shows that expectations of low inflation, rising cyclical unemployment, and external factors such as low crude oil prices were responsible. In the ...

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Refugees in Germany with Children Still Living Abroad Have Lowest Life Satisfaction

Family strongly influences personal well-being—especially in the case of refugees, whose family members often remain in their homeland. This report is the first to closely examine the well-being and family structures of refugees who came to Germany between January 2013 and January 2016. It uses data from the IAB-BAMF-SOEP Survey of Refugees in Germany. Among individuals aged between 18 and 49, nine ...

International Treaties Insufficiently Curb Global Tax Evasion

In recent years, the global community has promoted several initiatives aimed at breaking bank secrecy in tax havens. Such treaties for the exchange of information among tax offices can be effective. A treaty between country A and tax haven B reduces deposits from A in banks of B by approximately 30 percent. However, the analysis shows that tax evaders react to such treaties not by becoming honest taxpayers ...

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EU Commission Proposal for 2021–2027 Budget: Lost Opportunities

In May, the EU Commission presented its proposal for the EU budget for 2021 to 2027—a period of change for the EU. Not only will Great Britain’s exit from the Union leave a significant hole in the budget, but at the same time the budget must cover a vast range of additional requirements. Current international policy developments are already demanding the EU acting as a community, and the European project ...

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Weather Index Insurance Can Help Households Recover from Extreme Weather Events

Weather index insurance is considered a promising international climate policy instrument that can help households adapt better to climate change. This is especially true in developing countries where households often suffer severely from the consequences of extreme weather events. This report is one of the first to evaluate the impact of a globally recognized index insurance, Mongolia’s Index-Based ...

Extreme Weather Events Drastically Reduce School Completion by Mongolian Children

As climate change progresses, extreme weather events are occurring more often, with developing countries suffering the brunt. Using Mongolia as an example, this study examines how extremely cold and snowy winters—which lead to high livestock mortality and thus threaten the livelihood of many households—impact children’s school completion. The results, based on a representative household survey conducted ...

Extremely Harsh Winters Threaten the Livelihood of Mongolia’s Herders

Households in developing countries are exposed to increasingly extreme weather events that could endanger their prosperity. This study examines the impact of the unusually cold, snowy winter of 2009/2010 on the livestock of Mongolian households. Livestock represents on average more than 90 percent of the value of all assets owned. It is essential for current consumption and—due to the insufficient ...

Consequences of Extreme Weather Events for Developing Countries Based on the Example of Mongolia: Editorial

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Policy Responses to Turkey’s Crisis: Independent Central Bank and International Credit

The presently tenuous situation in Turkey will worsen if the government does not take appropriate policy action. In view of foreign investors’ loss of confidence, the cost of external financing is likely to rise while consumption and investment will fall, and the Turkish lira would depreciate further. The influx of foreign capital would dry up as well. Conservative estimates show that the country’s ...

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Inequality of Earnings in Germany Generally Accepted but Low Incomes Considered Unfair

Earnings differences are a recurring topic of public discussion in Germany. Data from the long-term Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP) study as well as a separate survey of German employees (LINOS) show that earnings inequalities are generally perceived as fair while a substantial share of the respondents find the current earnings distribution in Germany unfair. This applies above all to the middle and lower ...

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