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

Production and analysis of the Skills Forecast

Client: European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (CEDEFOP)
Duration: July 2020 - July 2024 read more

Comparative Advantage in the Digital Era: New insights into trade in digital tasks and ICT capital

Client: Anniversary Fund of the Oesterreichische Nationalbank
Duration: March 2021 - February 2023 read more

Impact Evaluation of the Interreg Rhin Supérieur / Oberrhein Programme

Client: Interreg Rhin Supérieur
Duration: September 2021 - December 2022 read more

Identifying Bottlenecks and Choke Points in Global Value Chains

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

Tobacco taxation in Eastern Europe 2025-2026

Client: Bloomberg Philanthropies
Duration: January 2025 - December 2026 read more

Nearshoring and decarbonisation in the Western Balkans

Client: DIHK - Deutscher Industrie- und Handelskammertag
Duration: January 2024 - September 2024 read more

Leveraging reconstruction and EU accession for regional development

Client: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ)
Duration: July 2025 - March 2026 read more

Monitoring and Supporting Western Balkan Convergence with the European Union

Client: Open Society Foundations Western Balkans (OSF)
Duration: November 2024 - December 2025 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

Functional division of labour in EU value chains

Client: Hans Böckler Stiftung
Duration: January 2022 - December 2022 read more

Tax and Contribution Burdens in Firms with Different Value Creation Structures

Client: AK Lower Austria
Duration: December 2024 - June 2025 read more

EU-Asia relations: technological competition and trade policies in an era of regionalisation

Client: Anniversary Fund of the Oesterreichische Nationalbank
Duration: June 2023 - October 2026 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

Empowering the Geopolitical EU in the Eastern Neighbourhood and the Western Balkans (GEO-POWER-EU)

Client: European Commission, Horizon Europe
Duration: June 2024 - May 2027 read more

The political economy of debt sustainability analysis

Client: Dezernat Zukunft
Duration: July 2024 - August 2026 read more


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