The Irony of 30 Years of German Unification... 'East Germany Suffered Less from COVID-19 than West Germany'

Despite German Unification in 1990, Disparities Persist
Industrialization and Population Density Differences Limit Spread in Former West Germany
Disparities Lead to Relatively Lower COVID-19 Impact Evaluation

[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] Although 30 years have passed since German reunification, an analysis suggests that the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) is once again dividing Germany. The damage in the former East German regions, which are economically relatively lagging, has been found to be milder than in the former West German regions.

According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on the 4th (local time), the number of confirmed cases and deaths in the five states that make up the former East German region, including Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, were significantly lower than in the 11 states of the former West German region. Mecklenburg-Vorpommern recorded 75 COVID-19 infections per 100,000 people, which is only one-seventh of Bavaria, a former West German state. According to the international statistics site Worldometer, the average number of confirmed COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people in Germany is around 360. Notably, in Schwerin, the capital of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, no COVID-19 deaths have occurred.

WSJ reported that no scientific research has yet been conducted on why fewer COVID-19 cases and deaths occur in the former East German region. However, epidemiologists, economists, and politicians all believe that the differences remaining between the former East and West Germany after reunification are the main cause. Ironically, the fact that residents of the former East Germany live less well and are less developed than those in the former West Germany is the main explanation for the difference in COVID-19 spread.

On the 3rd, in Potsdam, Brandenburg, Germany, the 30th anniversary of reunification is being held with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Chancellor Angela Merkel in attendance.
[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

Germany, which was divided for 41 years after World War II, was reunified on October 3, 1990. Since reunification, Germany has worked to rebuild East Germany, which lagged behind economically. However, disparities between the two sides still remain. According to a report published on the 30th anniversary of reunification, excluding the German capital Berlin, the per capita Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the former East German region was only 73% of the German average.

Population density also shows differences. After German reunification, residents of the former East Germany moved to the former West German region in search of jobs. As a result, over the past 30 years, 2.2 million residents of the former East Germany relocated to the former West Germany. During the same period, the population of the former West German region increased by 5.4 million, including foreign immigrants. Naturally, the population density of the former East German region became significantly lower than that of the former West German region. Lower population density reduces the likelihood of infection.

Besides population density, overseas travel is also related to the spread of COVID-19. Residents of the former East Germany travel abroad less frequently than those in the former West Germany. This is because many residents of the former East Germany do not have the financial means to travel overseas. In Germany, COVID-19 spread earlier this year centered around travelers who went skiing in the Italian Alps.

There are also cultural factors. In the former East German region, aggressive measures such as restricting large gatherings when COVID-19 occurred were effective. Additionally, it is analyzed that people from the former East Germany grew up more introverted and tend to comply more with government interventions.

What is noteworthy is that the economic gap between the former East and West German regions has rather narrowed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The former East German region, which suffered relatively less damage from COVID-19, is projected to have an economic growth rate of -5.9% this year. This is a better level than the overall German economic growth forecast of -6.7%. The German Ifo Institute for Economic Research explained, "The former East German region has benefited somewhat from being relatively less industrialized."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.