ifo and Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung Economists Panel

Every two months the ifo Institute and the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) Economists Panel surveys a representative group of economics professors at German universities on current economic policy issues. The panel aims to offer the public a differentiated perspective on how economists see the key challenges facing Germany in the present and the future. The survey results are regularly published in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.

Current Results

Facts3 May 2024

Die deutsche Wirtschaft strauchelt. Für das Jahr 2024 prognostizieren die internationalen Organisationen European Commission (2023), IMF (2024) und OECD (2024) jeweils, dass Deutschland im Vergleich zu anderen entwickelten Volkswirtschaften eines der Schlusslichter beim Wirtschaftswachstum sein wird. Die Ergebnisse des Economic Experts Survey (EES) aus dem Herbst 2023 zeigen, dass der Wirtschaftsstandort Deutschland in den vergangenen zehn Jahren substanziell an Attraktivität verloren hat. Die Politik ist alarmiert. Das Präsidium der FDP verabschiedete am 22.04.2024 ein Positionspapier zur Beschleunigung der Wirtschaftswende. Im 46. Ökonomenpanel von ifo und FAZ nehmen wir diese Situation zum Anlass und befragen die deutschen VWL-Professorinnen und -Professoren, in welchen Bereichen Deutschland schwächelt und welche Reformen notwendig sind. Die Umfrage, an der 180 Personen teilnahmen, fand vom 16. April bis zum 23. April 2024 statt.

Facts8 Dec 2023

On November 15, 2023, the Second Senate of Germany’s Federal Constitutional Court declared the second supplementary budget for 2021 unconstitutional. The reasons given included a violation of the debt brake enshrined in the country’s Basic Law (Art. 109 and Art. 115). As a result, the regular budget and parts of the special funds for 2023 and 2024 will have to be significantly restructured. The 45th ifo and FAZ Economists Panel is dedicated to the consequences of the ruling and focuses on the debt brake, which was at the center of discussions following the ruling. The survey, in which 187 economics professors took part, was conducted from November 28 to December 5, 2023.

Facts 5 Oct 2023

The German government’s legislative period is half over, and the country’s economy is weakening. Not only is it being hit by external factors such as the Russian war of aggression, but it is also facing major structural challenges. The 44th ifo and FAZ Economists Panel took this as an opportunity to look at the general economic policy of the German federal government as well as specific economic policies. A total of 205 economics professors took part in the survey, which ran from September 19 to September 26, 2023.

Information

The public debate over economic policy questions often only features two economic opinions that tend to be opposing. However, this does not provide any indication of how the majority of economists feel about an issue, nor does it reflect the diversity of opinions that may exist. The ifo and FAZ Economists Panel offers the public a differentiated perspective on how economists see key challenges facing Germany. 

The panel, which was launched in 2016 by Prof Dr. Niklas Potrafke, surveys just under 650 economics professors. The average participation rate is 25%.

In addition to their publication in the Frankfurter Allgemeinen Zeitung, the results of the Economists Panel are also published in ifo Schnelldienst, on ifo’s homepage, and its key findings are also summarised in press releases. The results of the Economists Panel are available in full on ifo’s homepage and are also used by ifo staff in their teaching.

Contact
Prof. Dr. Niklas Potrafke

Prof. Dr. Niklas Potrafke

Director of the ifo Center for Public Finance and Political Economy
Tel
+49(0)89/9224-1319
Fax
+49(0)89/907795-1319
Mail