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Zur Entwicklung der Preisniveaus in Ost- und Westdeutschland: zugleich eine Dokumentation verschiedener Preisniveau-Zeitreihen für das geteilte und für das vereinigte Deutschland

Author

Listed:
  • Heinz Vortmann
  • Jan Goebel
  • Peter Krause
  • Gert G. Wagner

Abstract

The economic literature to date is underestimating the importance of regional price level differences. Only in the form of "rent indices" are these differences considered in relation to overall quality of life. As experimental estimates by the Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs, and Spatial Development (BBSR) show, current price levels in Germany differ substantially both between counties and between eastern and western Germany. And these East-West differences have existed since before German reunification. The present article provides the first consistent documentation of East-West price levels since 1950. The East/West German purchasing power parities last calculated by DIW Berlin (in 1991) prove surprisingly consistent with the corresponding later estimates by the Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs, and Spatial Development (BBSR). The two methods lead to very similar results, and both sets of results deviate substantially from the Federal Statistical Office's assumption of identical price levels in East and West Germany after reunification. The article proposes a method to calculate consistent time series for East and West German price levels and purchasing power indices for the years 1950 to 2009. Die Bedeutung regionaler Unterschiede des Preisniveaus wird in den Wirtschaftswissenschaften unterschätzt. Lediglich in Form von "Mietspiegeln" werden regionale Preisniveauunterschiede lebensweltlich berücksichtigt. Wie experimentelle Berechnungen des Bundesinstituts für Bau-, Stadt- und Raumforschung (BBSR) zeigen, gibt es in Deutschland gegenwärtig nennenswerte Preisniveauunterschiede auf der Ebene von Landkreisen. Dadurch ergibt sich auch ein Preisniveauunterschied zwischen Ost- und Westdeutschland. Dieser Ost-West-Unterschied bestanden auch zu Zeiten der deutschen Teilung. Im vorliegenden Aufsatz werden die Ost-West-Preisniveaus seit dem Jahr 1950 erstmals in konsistenter Art und Weise dokumentiert. Die vom DIW Berlin zuletzt (1991) ermittelten Kaufkraftparitäten für Ost und Westdeutschland erweisen sich überraschend kompatibel mit den entsprechenden späteren Berechnungen des Bundesinstituts für Bau-, Stadt- und Raumforschung (BBSR). Die Ergebnisse beider Methoden sind sehr ähnlich und weichen zugleich deutlich von der Annahme des Statistischen Bundesamtes eines nach der Vereinigung einheitlichen Preisniveaus in Ost- und Westdeutschland ab. Es wird eine Vorschlag für die Berechnung von konsistenten Zeitreihen für die Preisniveaus in Ost- und Westdeutschland für die Jahre 1950 bis 2009 gemacht.

Suggested Citation

  • Heinz Vortmann & Jan Goebel & Peter Krause & Gert G. Wagner, 2013. "Zur Entwicklung der Preisniveaus in Ost- und Westdeutschland: zugleich eine Dokumentation verschiedener Preisniveau-Zeitreihen für das geteilte und für das vereinigte Deutschland," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 1269, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
    • Handle: RePEc:diw:diwwpp:dp1269
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Jan Goebel & Joachim R. Frick & Markus M. Grabka, 2009. "Preisunterschiede mildern Einkommensgefälle zwischen West und Ost," DIW Wochenbericht, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research, vol. 76(51/52), pages 888-894.
    2. Beblo, Miriam & Collier, Irwin L. & Knaus, Thomas, 2001. "The unification bonus (malus) in postwall Eastern Germany," ZEW Discussion Papers 01-29, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    3. Peter Krause, 1993. "Einkommensarmut in Ostdeutschland nimmt nicht mehr zu," DIW Wochenbericht, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research, vol. 60(51/52), pages 750-752.
    4. Peter Krause, 1994. "Armut im Wohlstand: Betroffenheit und Folgen," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 88, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
    5. Peter Krause & Bruce Headey & Roland Habich, 1992. "Einkommensentwicklung der privaten Haushalte in Ostdeutschland," DIW Wochenbericht, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research, vol. 59(4), pages 35-40.
    6. Peter Krause, 1994. "Die Einkommen in Ostdeutschland steigen weiter - auch die Einkommensarmut nimmt wieder zu," DIW Wochenbericht, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research, vol. 61(51/52), pages 867-872.
    7. Peter Krause, 1995. "Ostdeutschland fünf Jahre nach der Einheit: Rückgang der Erwerbsbeteiligung scheint gestoppt, Einkommen gleichen sich weiter an, Armut stagniert," DIW Wochenbericht, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research, vol. 62(50), pages 863-870.
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    2. Goldfayn-Frank, Olga & Wohlfart, Johannes, 2018. "How do consumers adapt to a new environment in their economic forecasting? Evidence from the German reunification," IMFS Working Paper Series 129, Goethe University Frankfurt, Institute for Monetary and Financial Stability (IMFS).
    3. Emmler, Julian & Fitzenberger, Bernd, 2020. "The Role of Unemployment and Job Change When Estimating the Returns to Migration," IZA Discussion Papers 13740, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    4. Goldfayn-Frank, Olga & Wohlfart, Johannes, 2019. "How Do Consumers Adapt to a New Environment in their economic forecasting? Evidence from the German Reunification," VfS Annual Conference 2019 (Leipzig): 30 Years after the Fall of the Berlin Wall - Democracy and Market Economy 203668, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    5. Mertens, Matthias & Mueller, Steffen, 2022. "The East-West German gap in revenue productivity:Just a tale of output prices?," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 50(3), pages 815-831.
    6. Emmler, Julian & Fitzenberger, Bernd, 2020. "The role of unemployment and job change when estimating the returns to migration," IAB-Discussion Paper 202037, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany].

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    German unification; inflation; purchasing power parity;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D31 - Microeconomics - - Distribution - - - Personal Income and Wealth Distribution
    • N34 - Economic History - - Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Health, Welfare, Income, Wealth, Religion, and Philanthropy - - - Europe: 1913-
    • N94 - Economic History - - Regional and Urban History - - - Europe: 1913-

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