Our figure of the month

In today's information age we are surrounded by an almost infinite amount of data. Each month, the GWS-WiSo-team selects a particularly interesting economic and/or social topic or question from the multitude of available information, which is highlighted as the "number of the month". The current number as well as the earlier numbers of the month can be found here.


Our figure of the month 06/2022: Rising interest rates weigh most heavily on cities south of Düsseldorf

In the current discussion about rising interest rates, looking at the affordability of single-family homes[1], measured by the price-income ratio, offers an approximation of the extent to which borrowers may be affected. During the…

Our figure of the month 05/2022: Strong increase in timber prices due to rising global demand, supply bottlenecks and trade embargoes

Forestry and sawmills benefit

After both raw wood prices and industrial producer prices for wood in Germany stagnated for years or declined from mid-2018 to the end of 2020, they have since experienced a dynamic increase.  As the figure…

Our figure of the month 04/2022: Private consumption over the last 30 years

The Corona pandemic had a significant impact on the consumption behavior of German households. Initially, households had to adjust their spending in line with freezes and hygiene regulations. As the pandemic progressed, supply shortages…

Our figure of the month 03/2022: German-Russian Import Dependence

Raw Materials versus High Technology

The EU's four sanctions packages against Russia were adopted quickly and in great unity. In the meantime, sanctioned Russian banks have also been partially excluded from the SWIFT system, but a…

Our figure of the month 02/2022: The bicycle boom is catching on with commuters – 10% have taken up cycling or e-bikes since the pandemic

Shares of cars and public transport declining

In Germany, millions of working people commute between home and work every day. Despite the past two Covid years, the trend toward commuting is unbroken and the number of commuters continues…

Our figure of the month 01/2022: Electricity consumption – today, tomorrow and the contribution of hydrogen

Gross electricity consumption was 577 TWh in 2019 ([1]; the values for 2020 are not used in the following version due to the distortion caused by the Corona crisis). The old German government still assumed an almost unchanged electricity…

Our figure of the month for New Year's Eve 2021: Price explosion in wholesale

Wholesale prices developed mainly in one direction this year – upwards. Almost all wholesale segments are affected, in particular other wholesale (+24.7% year-on-year January–November 2020), which includes "Wholesale of waste and scrap"…

Our figure of the month for Christmas 2021: Let them eat goose

Christmas is often celebrated at a well-set table, with plenty of everything, rich of flavor and choice, lately occasionally vegetarian. However, traditional Christmas roasts rely on an essential animal ingredient. And the production of…

Our figure of the month 12/2021: Buying property has become more expensive for the tenth year in a row

Wage increases cannot keep up with the increase of property prices, which means that affordability continues to decline. This is measured by the price-income ratio (PIR) and shows that in 2021, an average wage earner in Germany has to pay…

Our figure of the month 11/2021: Share of electric cars in all passenger cars

Electric cars are the most discussed topic for the future of mobility. Almost all well-known German vehicle manufacturers are planning to switch to electric vehicles in production over the next few years. Federal and state subsidy…

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