Schattenwirtschaft und Messung des Wirtschaftswachstums

Does the shadow economy contribute to economic growth is a frequently asked question, which will be dealt with in this paper. Economic growth is commonly measured by the growth rate of the gross domestic product, a macro-economic statistical key aggregate. Whether and how shadow activities are covered during the process of compiling GDP is high-lighted in this contribution. The paper first looks at the definition of shadow activities as well as at the impact of the shadow economy on GDP. The measures taken in Germany to improve the exhaustiveness of the GDP are presented subsequently. Finally, the issue of producing a separate estimate for the shadow economy is dealt with.