Department of Economics

The University of Bonn’s Department of Economics is one of the strongest research departments in the field of economics in Europe. Through research and teaching, we aim to contribute to addressing major societal challenges and to provide impulses for effective and evidence-based economic policy. Our focus is on the education of young economists from the bachelor's to the doctoral level.

Studying

Department

Research

Jobs

News

New exchange programs with Hitotsubashi University

Starting immediately, students of the Department of Economics have the opportunity to study in Japan in the context of a new bilateral agreement with Hitotsubashi University.

JOSUA: Secure Remote Analysis of Sensitive Data to Be Established at the University of Bonn

The JOSUA software (Job Submission Application) will in the future be jointly developed and operated by the Department of Economics and the Cluster of Excellence ECONtribute: Markets & Public Policy. This move secures the long-term operation of JOSUA as a powerful platform for secure, data-intensive research.

Tomáš Jagelka wins Exeter Prize

Tomáš Jagelka has been awarded the 2025 Exeter Prize for his paper “Are Economists’ Preferences Psychologists’ Personality Traits? A Structural Approach,” published in the March 2024 issue of the Journal of Political Economy.

Interview with Zainab Iftikhar

Problem or opportunity? New research from EPoS Economic Research Center at the Universities of Bonn and Mannheim shows how low-skilled immigration may widen income gaps in Germany—but also how smart policies can turn migration into an economic win. Zainab Iftikhar explains the findings in this interview. Read the interview with Zainab Iftikhar here:

News

Events

Overview of recent publications

“The Generational Gift: The Effects of Grandparental Care on the Next Generations’ Health and Well-Being”

The article “The Generational Gift: The Effects of Grandparental Care on the Next Generations’ Health and Well-Being” by Mara Barschkett, C. Katharina Spiess, and Elena Ziege was published in Health Economics.

“On FIRE, News, and Expectations”

The article “On FIRE, News, and Expectations” by Benjamin Born, Zeno Enders, and Gernot J. Müller was published in The Routledge Handbook of Economic Expectations in Historical Perspective.

"How much do norms matter for quantity and quality of children?"

The article “How much do norms matter for quantity and quality of children?” by Zainab Iftikhar was published in World Development, Volume 195, November 2025, 107079.

“The healthcare costs of air pollution in France”

The article “The healthcare costs of air pollution in France” by Julia Mink was published in the Journal of Environmental Economics and Management.

Further recent publications

Studying

The Department of Economics offers the degree programs BSc "Economics", BA "Economics" (2-subject or accompanying subject) and MSc "Economics".

Study Programs

PhD

Are you aiming for a doctorate? The Bonn Graduate School of Economics offers an English-language Doctoral Program (PhD) with an integrated Master in Economic Research for students from all over the world.

PhD Program

Institutions

Excellence Cluster

The ECONtribute Excellence Cluster in Economic Sciences conducts research on markets in the area of intersection between business, politics and society.

ECONtribute

Collaborative Research Center

The SFB TR 224 deals with equal opportunities, market regulation and financial market stability as societal challenges.

CRC TR 224

Institutes

The department is organized in a departmental structure encompassing scientific and teaching areas and is divided into five institutes for teaching and research.

Institutes