News & Opinions

Spring forecast: Eastern Europe weathering the Iran shock for now - 29 Apr 2026

A protracted war in the Middle East would lead to a sharp decline in growth; ‘extended workbench’ model no longer CEE’s growth engine; gloomy outlook for Ukraine; Russia in stagnation, despite windfall profits from Iran war; Hungary’s recovery will take time read more

Osteuropa wichtigste Stütze für Österreichs Exportwachstum - 29 Apr 2026

Obwohl der Iran-Krieg die Wachstumsaussichten Mittel-, Ost- und Südosteuropas dämpft, kann Österreich weiterhin optimistisch auf die dortige Wirtschaftsentwicklung blicken read more

New study: EU tobacco tax reform could boost revenues and cut smoking - 20 Apr 2026

Our new study on EU tobacco tax reform was presented at the European Parliament, highlighting its potential to increase fiscal revenues and improve public health read more

wiiw is hiring a Pre-Doc Economist specialised in Macroeconomics - 01 Apr 2026

The candidate should have a Master’s degree, skills in econometrics and a pronounced interest in empirical research. read more

New Study: Same job, different skills – why migrants fall behind at work - 13 Mar 2026

Migrants in Europe perform fewer complex tasks than native workers in the same jobs due to cognitive skill gaps rather than discriminatory task allocation. Language training and skill development are key read more

New study: Regime change in Iran could boost EU economy - 02 Mar 2026

GDP gains of up to 0.7% for the EU; Austria would benefit particularly; dampening effects on inflation; Iran could reach the economic level of Turkey or South Korea in the medium term read more

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has fundamentally changed Central, East and Southeast Europe - 24 Feb 2026

The war has ended the region’s three-decade growth model and replaced it with one defined by security and capital intensity read more

Reorientation of Ukraine’s economy towards the EU - 24 Feb 2026

EU now Ukraine’s most important trading partner; high dependence on China for drones; critical raw materials, defence and renewables are opportunities for Europe; robust agriculture, greater role for the government read more

New study: fiscal consolidation dampens growth and increases inequality - 18 Feb 2026

Study shows: dampening effects of fiscal consolidation are significantly stronger in a recession than in an upturn; negative impact in Austria limited so far; ensure socially balanced consolidation read more

United Europe 2031: Widen, Deepen, Survive - 17 Feb 2026

Europe must grasp the nettle and use enlargement to force deep integration – before delay turns into decline read more

Winter forecast for Eastern Europe: Solid growth despite uncertainties - 04 Feb 2026

Structural change in Central and Eastern Europe is in full swing, while Trump, budget deficits and a dictated peace in Ukraine pose risks; Ukraine faces a difficult future, whereas Russia’s economy is stagnating read more

A dictated peace would be a disaster for Ukraine and Central Eastern Europe - 15 Jan 2026

Without credible security guarantees, Ukraine is likely to become a vassal state of Moscow and will continue to get poorer. The EU members of the region would face economic decline and protracted conflict with Russia read more

Recent Publications

publication_icon

Growth model adapting under pressure

wiiw Forecast Reports read more

publication_icon

Monthly Report No. 04/2026

wiiw Monthly Reports read more

publication_icon

The illiberal economy: The long-term development of the Hungarian economy under Viktor Orbán

wiiw Policy Notes and Reports read more

Upcoming Events

19  May 2026    5:45 pm CEST

In cooperation with CEU, FIW, Universität Wien, WIFO, WIIW and WU.

David Atkin (MIT) presents his research (jointly with Baptiste Bernadac, Dave Donaldson, Tishara Garg and Federico Huneeus) in the Vienna International Economics Seminar (VIES) series

The Incidence of Distortions (joint Baptiste Bernadac, Dave Donaldson, Tishara Garg and Federico Huneeus)

read more

28  May 2026    4:30 pm CEST

In cooperation with City of Vienna.

Spring Seminar 2026: Urban Human Capital Nexus: Navigating Ageing, Culture, Markets, and Integration

read more

Projects in Focus

Automotive sector in Europe, particularly in CESEE

Client: Oesterreichische Nationalbank/Austrian Ministry of Finance
Duration: April 2021 - October 2021 read more

Evidenzbasiertes Arbeiten im Bereich der Daseinsvorsorge und Wirtschaftsentwicklung für Transformationsprozesse in den Regionen

Client: Bundesminister für Land- und Forstwirtschaft, Klima- und Umweltschutz, Regionen und Wasserwirtschaft
Duration: November 2025 - November 2026 read more

Framework contract for studies in the field of Social Policy, Education, Employment, Research, Culture and Digital Single Market (Lot 1 – Social and Employment Policy)

Client: Committee of the Regions
Duration: July 2022 - June 2023 read more

Genetic innovation, intermediate goods and energy prices in an agent-based model

Client: Anniversary Fund of the Oesterreichische Nationalbank
Duration: March 2023 - August 2026 read more

Demographic and economic development in Central and East European countries (CEECs)

Client: City of Vienna
Duration: September 2021 - June 2022 read more

Russia Monitor

Client: German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK)
Duration: January 2023 - June 2024 read more

Inclusion of data from EU candidate countries in FIGARO input-output tables and FIGARO National Accounting Matrix (FNAM)

Client: Joint Research Centre (JRC)
Duration: April 2026 - June 2026 read more

Finanzieller Mehrwert durch genossenschaftlichen und öffentlichen Wohnraum? Eine Auswertung der Zusatzerhebung zur Wohnsituation der Haushalte des Mikrozensus 2018 und 2022

Client: Hans Böckler Stiftung
Duration: February 2025 - May 2026 read more

Systematische Untersuchung der möglichen mittel- und langfristigen Auswirkungen von Covid-19 auf Personen- und Gütermobilität

Client: ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG/Austrian Railway
Duration: February 2021 - March 2022 read more

Identifying Bottlenecks and Choke Points in Global Value Chains

Client: Asian Development Bank (ADB)
Duration: October 2024 - December 2025 read more

Spend, transfer, or repay. What to do with all the money from the EU carbon border tax?

Client: Anniversary Fund of the Oesterreichische Nationalbank
Duration: October 2022 - September 2024 read more

Analysis of the Fiscal and Health Impact of Increasing Tobacco Excise Taxes

Client: The World Bank
Duration: February 2024 - December 2024 read more

Expertise on intra-EU mobility, free movement of workers and social security coordination – Support on statistics and socio-economic analysis

Client: European Commission, DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion
Duration: December 2025 - November 2029 read more


top