German Economy & Economics Vocabulary
This set covers the vocabulary you need to read a news article about the economy: die Wirtschaft itself, plus the cycle it moves through in die Konjunktur, die Rezession, and die Krise. One thing to watch: die Krise is not just a big problem, it's specifically used for downturns and shocks (Wirtschaftskrise, Finanzkrise), where English might just say "trouble" or "a slump."
Learn these 16 words
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All 16 words
growth
Die Wirtschaft zeigt ein starkes Wachstum. — The economy shows strong growth.
plural: die Krisen
crisis
Die Wirtschaft steckt in einer schweren Krise. — The economy is in a severe crisis.
plural: die Mängel
lack; deficiency
In dieser Stadt gibt es einen großen Mangel an Wohnungen. — There is a great shortage of apartments in this city.
plural: die Marktwirtschaften
market economy
Deutschland hat eine soziale Marktwirtschaft. — Germany has a social market economy.
plural: die Wirtschaften
economy, business
In der Schule lernen die Kinder viel über Wirtschaft und Politik. — In school, children learn a lot about economics and politics.
globalization
Die Globalisierung verändert die Weltwirtschaft. — Globalization is changing the world economy.
economic situation
Die Konjunktur ist in diesem Jahr besser als im letzten. — The economic situation is better this year than last.
plural: die Verteilungen
a distribution
Die Verteilung der Ressourcen war ungleich. — The distribution of resources was unequal.
plural: die Börsengänge
an IPO (initial public offering)
Das Unternehmen plante einen Börsengang nächstes Jahr. — The company planned an IPO next year.
plural: die Deflationen
deflation
Die Deflation führte zu sinkenden Preisen. — The deflation led to falling prices.
decentralization
Die Dezentralisierung von Macht fördert lokale Autonomie. — The decentralization of power promotes local autonomy.
fiscal policy
Die Regierung verfolgt eine expansive Fiskalpolitik. — The government is pursuing an expansive fiscal policy.
monetary policy
Die Geldpolitik der Zentralbank ist restriktiv. — The central bank's monetary policy is restrictive.
plural: die Inflationen
inflation
Die Inflation führte zu steigenden Preisen in allen Bereichen. — Inflation led to rising prices across all sectors.
plural: die Rezessionen
recession
Die Rezession verursachte wirtschaftliche Schwierigkeiten für viele Unternehmen. — The recession caused economic difficulties for many businesses.
plural: die Subventionen
subsidy / price support
Die Subvention half dem Unternehmen zu überleben. — The subsidy helped the company to survive.
How to learn this set
Notice how many of these are feminine nouns borrowed straight from Latin or French: die Inflation, die Deflation, die Rezession, die Globalisierung, die Dezentralisierung. If a German economics term ends in -ion or -ung, bet on "die" and you'll be right almost every time in this list. The exceptions worth memorizing separately are das Wachstum (neuter, from wachsen) and der Mangel and der Börsengang (both masculine). For die Fiskalpolitik and die Geldpolitik, drill them as a pair since they cover the two levers, taxes/spending versus money supply, that get contrasted constantly in real articles.
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Frequently asked questions
Is Wirtschaft the same as Ökonomie in German?
In everyday use, yes: die Wirtschaft is the standard word for both 'the economy' and 'business' in general (Wirtschaftswachstum, Wirtschaftskrise). Ökonomie exists but sounds more academic, closer to 'economics' as a field of study.
What is the difference between Konjunktur and Wachstum?
Das Wachstum is growth itself, a rising number. Die Konjunktur is the broader economic climate or cycle, which includes phases of growth, stagnation, and downturn, so a Konjunkturkrise means the whole cycle has turned bad, not just that growth stopped.
Why is der Mangel masculine when most economy words are feminine?
There's no rule tying gender to meaning here, it's just how the word happened to develop. Der Mangel comes from a different word family (related to 'mangeln', to lack) than the Latin-based feminine nouns like die Inflation or die Rezession, so it keeps its own gender.
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