The current short expert report commissioned by the AWO Bundesverband e.V. sheds light on the distributional effects of the tax allowances for children. In particular, the allowance for care, education and training costs (BEA) currently favours high-income households more than low-income families. The study analyses how halving the CEA or reducing it to 300 euros would affect different groups of households.
Cost of (no) basic child allowance: long-term costs of child poverty
One in five German households with children lives below the at-risk-of-poverty threshold. Germany’s current coalition agreement aims to strengthen families and lift children out of poverty. Against this background, the basic child allowance is currently under discussion. In the public debate, however, the long-term societal costs of child poverty are hardly ever compared with the costs of measures against child poverty. Yet, the costs are significant and occur in the areas such as health, education and social participation. Scenario analyses confirm that policy measures can be effective in reducing child poverty. Investing in children can therefore lead to substantial fiscal savings in the long run.
The state of Baden-Württemberg on the road to climate neutrality
The government of Baden-Württemberg has set itself the goal of making the state carbon-neutral by 2040. However, to meet this challenge, transformation efforts on an unprecedented scale are required. On behalf of the SPD parliamentary group in Baden-Württemberg, DIW Econ has analysed how much CO2 emissions need to be saved each year and what measures need to be taken in the buildings, transport, electricity and heat generation sectors to reach the goal of climate neutrality in 2040 by 2030.
The Saar Economy in Structural Change
The Saar economy faces current and future challenges that are unique in Germany. The acute need for transformation in the Saarland, which is particularly significant compared to other federal states, is due primarily to the strong industrial character of the Saar economy. This is confirmed by a study conducted by DIW Econ on behalf of the Ministry of Finance and Europe and the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour and Energy and the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour, Energy and Transport of the Saarland
Private school funding and energy price crisis
On behalf of the Association of German Private School Associations (VDP e.V.), DIW Econ has investigated whether and how stable the financing system of independent schools in Germany is with regard to extreme increases in energy costs.