Is your Anno 1800 city bleeding cash? Are you tired of spending countless hours building only to face bankruptcy? This guide will break down all the key mechanics related to cash flow and financial stability in Anno 1800, ensuring that your bank account remains full and your city thrives.

Topics Covered:

• Population needs and happiness, and how they translate into income
• Trading surplus goods for extra cash
• Using propaganda to boost your economy
• Creating and selling ships for profit
• Buying and selling shares, and how to take over islands economically

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Understanding Your Cash Flow

Most of the important financial information in Anno 1800 is found in the top left corner of your screen. Here’s what each indicator means:

• Balance (Dollar Sign): The total amount of money available.
• Income (Three Bars & Number): Indicates whether you are making or losing money.
• Population (Stick Figures): A larger population generally means more income.

Hovering over these icons gives a detailed breakdown of your income and expenses, which is essential for understanding how money flows through your city.

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Generating Cash Through Population Growth

In the early game, your primary source of income is tax revenue from population. The process works as follows:

• Each farmhouse starts with one resident and can hold up to ten.
• Needs must be met (e.g., fish, clothing) to increase population density and tax revenue.
• Meeting happiness requirements doubles tax income from each house.

For example, a row of 20 full farmhouses generates 100 cash. When happiness is maxed, this doubles to 200 cash. Always ensure your people are happy to maximize your profits.

Pro Tip: Avoid pre-building unnecessary infrastructure. Each building has upkeep costs, so only construct factories and facilities when your population demands them.

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Understanding Royal Taxes

Once your population reaches 1,000-1,100 farmers, you will be hit with Royal Taxes, which reduce your income. This mechanic forces you to upgrade houses to the next tier (workers, artisans, etc.) rather than endlessly expanding farmhouses.

Royal Taxes apply to every population tier, so if your income starts dropping unexpectedly, consider upgrading your lower-tier houses to offset the tax penalties.

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Maximizing Trade Income

Trade is one of the best ways to earn extra cash, especially in the mid-game. There are two primary trade strategies:

1. Passive Trade Through Your Warehouse

• Set surplus goods to sell automatically in your warehouse.
• NPCs with trade rights will buy goods when they need them.
• Example: Selling excess lumber and coal can provide steady income.

2. Active Trade Routes

• Establish manual trade routes between islands or with NPCs.
• Select high-demand goods for consistent profit.
• Monitor trade history in the harbor menu to track what’s selling best.

Finding and securing early trade partners (such as friendly NPCs) can boost your economy significantly.

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Making Money by Selling Ships

One of the most profitable mid-to-late game strategies is building and selling ships:

• Construct ships at your shipyard.
• Send them to an NPC harbor.
• Sell them for 50,000+ gold per ship.

If you have an efficient ship production chain, you can make hundreds of thousands in profit quickly.

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Investing in Shares for Passive Income

Shares are an excellent way to earn passive income and even take over islands without war. Every island has five shares, and buying them provides a portion of that island’s economy as a dividend.

• Larger, more developed islands yield bigger dividends.
• Buying all five shares allows you to completely buy out an island.
• Be aware that purchasing shares makes other players hostile towards you.

A strong financial strategy includes buying shares early to gain passive income before opponents can retaliate.

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Using Propaganda for Extra Income

The newspaper is another powerful tool for boosting your economy:

• Edit consumerism articles to increase income.
• Early-game propaganda boosts income by 5%, while late-game boosts can reach 15%.
• Example: A 15% tax boost can generate an extra 4,500 gold per cycle.

Using the newspaper strategically can significantly increase your cash flow without additional effort.

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Final Tips for Financial Success

• Only build what you need to avoid unnecessary upkeep costs.
• Upgrade houses strategically to avoid Royal Taxes and maximize tax revenue.
• Set trade routes to sell surplus goods for extra profit.
• Produce and sell ships to generate quick bursts of income.
• Invest in shares to secure passive income and eventually take over enemy islands.
• Use propaganda wisely to increase your overall tax revenue.

By following these tips, you can keep your Anno 1800 city financially stable and ensure long-term success.

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This concludes our Anno 1800 Money Guide. If you found this helpful, be sure to check out our other strategy guides and optimize your city-building experience!