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

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Growth model adapting under pressure

wiiw Forecast Reports read more

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Monthly Report No. 04/2026

wiiw Monthly Reports read more

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

wiiw Policy Notes and Reports read more

Projects in Focus

Changes in the Structure, Quality and Economic Impact of FDI in the Western Balkans

Client: The World Bank
Duration: March 2026 - June 2026 read more

Labour market trajectories of refugees and other migrants

Client: Anniversary Fund of the Oesterreichische Nationalbank
Duration: January 2021 - June 2023 read more

Transport and Tourism in Outermost Regions: Assessing Mobility Poverty and the Effects of New Climate Policies

Client: European Parliament
Duration: April 2024 - March 2025 read more

Monitoring and Supporting Western Balkan Convergence with the European Union (converge2eu)

Client: Open Society Foundations Western Balkans (OSF)
Duration: January 2026 - December 2027 read more

Fiscal rules and fiscal councils in the Western Balkans

Client: The World Bank
Duration: August 2023 - October 2024 read more

Long-term impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on labour market integration of refugees (FIMAS reCOV)

Client: International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD)
Duration: March 2023 - December 2023 read more

Capacity Building for Central, Eastern and South Eastern Europe: Development, organisation, implementation and evaluation of seminars at the Joint Vienna Institute

Client: Oesterreichische Nationalbank/Austrian Ministry of Finance
Duration: January 2026 - December 2026 read more

Export bonus: Significance and performance of Austrian exporters

Client: Austrian Ministry for Digital and Economic Affairs
Duration: October 2021 - April 2022 read more

Untangling the impacts of technological transformations, globalisation and demographic change to foster shared prosperity in Europe (UNTANGLED)

Client: European Commission, Horizon 2020
Duration: February 2021 - January 2024 read more

Tobacco taxation in Eastern Europe

Client: Bloomberg Philanthropies
Duration: October 2023 - December 2024 read more

Projections for Loans and Interest Rate - Autumn Update 2025-2030

Client: Addiko Bank AG
Duration: September 2025 - October 2025 read more

A new growth model in EU-CEE

Client: Friedrich Ebert Stiftung
Duration: August 2020 - May 2021 read more

Russia Monitor

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

Key Forecasts and Macro Scenario Analysis

Client: Addiko Bank AG
Duration: March 2024 - March 2026 read more

The impacts of recent inflation development on the EU finances

Client: European Parliament
Duration: July 2023 - November 2023 read more


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