| Land and property ownership | Public ownership of land and property prevented speculative deals, few access restrictions (e.g., on the shorelines of bodies of water) | A lack of personal attachment often led to careless treatment of land and property in many cases (e.g., at landfills or in agriculture) |
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| Houses and apartments | Rents were very cheap, property prices were kept low by state directives, no land speculation | Decay of rental apartment buildings in inner cities, stereotypical new construction on the city outskirts, private homeownership discouraged, purchase of real estate by the "average consumer" nearly impossible |
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| Roads | no tolls | Catastrophic condition of roads and highways |
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| Public transport | Deutsche Reichsbahn still operated on many branch lines that are now closed | Outdated locomotives and rolling stock, a large backlog in track maintenance, decaying stations |
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| Industry | Public ownership of all larger enterprises prevented economic misconduct, with comparatively milder performance pressure (socialist competition) | A centrally controlled planned economy prevented quick response to new market needs and suppressed individual initiative; necessary investments were often omitted, resulting in an increasingly dilapidated capital stock |
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| Crafts and trades | Craftsmen such as electricians or plumbers worked together in crafts production cooperatives (PGH), gardeners in horticultural production cooperatives (GPG) | No freedom of enterprise, tradesmen's services scarce |
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| Agriculture | Farmers worked together in Agricultural Production Cooperatives (LPG), which were supported by Agrochemical Centers (ACZ) and district enterprises for agricultural machinery (formerly Machine-Tractor Stations, MTS) | Industrial-scale animal and crop production (large-area cultivation / huge livestock barns) with significant environmental burdens (over-fertilization and pesticide/herbicide use), supply gaps in agricultural products, e.g. fruit and vegetables |
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| Energy | Low energy prices | Lignite is the most important energy source, electricity and gas supply networks prone to failures |
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| Education and upbringing | A large number of nursery and kindergarten places available, low daycare fees, no school fees, no tuition fees at colleges and universities | |
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| Healthcare | Unhindered access to preventive care and medical treatment for all GDR citizens | Western pharmaceuticals and medical technology available only in exceptional cases |
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| Environment | | Very high pollution of groundwater and surface waters, regionally very high air pollution; all types of waste were allowed to be deposited, and landfills were also opened for waste from the "West" |
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| Water management | Low water charges; supplying the population with drinking water has priority | Insufficient maintenance of drinking water supply networks, resulting in high network losses and a significant shortage of wastewater treatment plants |
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| Banks and the stock exchange | Banks are state-owned, thus there were no risky banking operations | Lack of access to the international capital market, a "soft" currency, shortage of foreign exchange |
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| Culture | Many cultural events even in the "provinces"; tickets for cultural events were very cheap; the content offered was not only oriented to contemporary taste but sometimes also pursued educational aims | Isolation from the cultural scene in the "West" |
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| Food | Basic groceries very cheap | Overall product range very poor (e.g., there was a lack of tropical fruits, vegetables, fish and higher-quality cheeses as well as meat and sausage products) |
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| Clothing | Baby and children's items very cheap | Not always up-to-date in fashion, limited selection |
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| Consumer and household technology | Long lifespan | Overpriced, because technical consumer goods were generally regarded as luxury goods, narrow product range (hardly any competing products), often technically outdated as well, waiting times for some products (e.g., color televisions) |
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| Cars | | Overpriced, because cars were seen as luxury goods, long waiting times (10 years and more), few brands, technically outdated |
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| Travel, sport and leisure | Extensive range for recreational sports enthusiasts, low costs | Significantly restricted travel opportunities, doping in elite sport, limited availability of sports and recreational activities that demand high-quality equipment (e.g., sailing) |
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