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.
The economic impact of e-lending in public libraries on the consumer book market
On behalf of the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media (BKM), DIW Econ analysed the economic effects of e-lending on the German public book market. In its coalition agreement, the German government established the goal of creating a fair framework conditions for e-lending in public libraries. The study now presented by DIW Econ aims to provide a comprehensive empirical basis for this.
The economic power behind housing
Residential construction has been a major contributor to Germany’s economic growth in recent decades. However, current forecasts point to a worrying decline in the real volume of residential construction, which could have far-reaching consequences. This development underlines the urgent need to strengthen residential construction as a driver of economic recovery.
Cheap new world? Comparison of the energy costs of a fossil-based and a green household
Whether a sustainable lifestyle is financially worthwhile for households is a matter of public debate. The high initial investment in particular reinforces the prejudice that switching to renewable energies is the morally correct but expensive alternative to a fossil-fuelled lifestyle. A cost comparison carried out by DIW Econ on behalf of Enpal B.V. suggests that the opposite is true.
Requirements for the fulfilment of the channelling mandate of the State Treaty: the example of lotteries and commercial gaming machines
The development of the regulatory framework and the offer of the gambling segments DLTB lotteries and commercial gaming machines has been very different over the last 30 years, although both sectors have the mandate to channel gambling into legal channels by offering attractive games. In this study, commissioned by VDAI, DIW Econ examines the relationship between the design and adaptation of products over time, particularly in the area of stakes and winnings, and successful channelling in both sectors.