Ifo's Database for Institutional Comparisons in Europe (DICE)
Introduction
The database DICE is an additional service product of the Ifo Institute. DICE provides systematic information on economic institutions and regulatory systems as well as their economic effects. The information is presented as charts, tables and reports. The user can choose between current comparisons, archived documents from previous years and time series that show developments over time. In most cases, the 27 EU countries as well as some major non-EU countries are covered.
Why DICE?
More than anything else it is the institutional framework of an economy and the implied incentive structure that explain the welfare of a nation. In a time of rapidly expanding globalisation, where people, businesses, capital and goods are becoming increasingly mobile internationally, countries are compelled to compete on the basis of the institutions they have established. No country can afford not to compare its institutions with those of its neighbours, and all countries must aim for international benchmarks and best practices. International institutional data that allow a country to assess its own situation and to prepare reforms are in great demand.
Formats of DICE
The information which DICE contains will be presented in three different formats.
- DICE charts depict selected features of important new institutional-economic developments and are therefore of interest to a broad public.
- DICE tables cover a broad range of topics and offer more detailed and in-depth information.
- DICE reports highlight topical economic developments with brief texts built around graphical illustrations and tables. They are regularly published in the quarterly CESifo DICE Report.
