OECD Economic Surveys: Germany 2020
The German economy entered a deep recession in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. A strong government response has reinforced health system capacity while protecting jobs and firms. The response to the crisis has included increases in investment to meet structural challenges from the energy transition and digital transformation. Further public investment is needed to resolve the infrastructure backlog, along with steps to remove delivery bottlenecks. Emissions pricing in transport and heating will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, though further steps will be needed to meet targets. The German government has made good progress in addressing some key barriers to digital transformation, but can do more to unleash its full benefits. Alleviating connectivity bottlenecks, incentivising investment in knowledge-based capital and supporting business dynamism during the recovery by reducing administrative burden, facilitating access to financing, and accelerating progress towards digital government can boost technology diffusion and productivity. To empower everyone to thrive in digital environments, computational thinking should be introduced earlier and training for teachers increased to ensure effective use of digital technologies in schools.
SPECIAL FEATURE: UNLEASHING THE BENEFITS OF DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
Basic statistics of Germany, 2019
(Numbers in parentheses refer to the OECD average)*
This Survey is published on the responsibility of the Economic and Development Review Committee of the OECD, which is charged with the examination of the economic situation of member countries.The economic situation and policies of Germany were reviewed by the Committee on 26 October 2020. The draft report was then revised in the light of the discussions and given final approval as the agreed report of the whole Committee on 24 November 2020.The Secretariat’s draft report was prepared for the Committee by Andrew Barker, Ze’ev Krill, Alexandra Effenberger, David Gierten, Maximilian Reisch and Verena Weber under the supervision of Mame Fatou Diagne. Statistical research assistance was provided by Corinne Chanteloup. Publication coordination was provided by Poeli Bojorquez. The Survey benefitted from contributions by Jean-Victor Alipour and Michaela Haderer.The previous Survey of Germany was issued in June 2018.Information about the latest as well as previous Surveys and more information about how Surveys are prepared is available at http://www.oecd.org/eco/surveys.
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