US GDP Statistics and How to Use Them

5 Ways To Measure the US Economy

Image shows 5 icons with corresponding captions. The icons are a dollar bill and a few coins, a percentage sign over an zig-zagging, increasing arrow, a small house with a heart in it, a coin with a red arrow pointing downward, and a person with a ball and chain attached at the ankle and the ball has a dollar sign on it. The following captions are in the order of the icons just listed and correspond to them: "U.S. Nominal GDP: Measures economic output of the entire country. GDP Growth Rate: Measures year-over-year percent increase of economic output. GDP Per Capita: Estimates standard of living. Real GDP: Nominal GDP without inflation. Debt to GDP Ratio: Determines whether annual income can pay off debt"
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The Balance / Theresa Chiechi

Gross domestic product (GDP) measures a country's economic output. It is one of the most important economic indicators that can tell you how the U.S. economy is doing.

There are five GDP statistics that can give you a look into the health of the U.S. economy. Nominal GDP is the basic measure of economic output. Real GDP corrects for changes in prices. The GDP growth rate measures how fast the economy is growing (or contracting). Real GDP per capita describes people's standard of living in the U.S., and the debt-to-GDP ratio describes whether America produces enough each year to pay off its national debt.

The Bureau of Economic Analysis releases data on each of these measurements, with the most recent report discussing the third quarter of 2022, which you can see below.

5 Ways to Measure the US Economy
Measure Rate Explanation
Nominal GDP $25.66 trillion Measures economic output of the entire country
Real GDP $20.02 trillion GDP without inflation
GDP Growth Rate 2.6% Annualized rate that shows increase or decrease of economic output
Real GDP per Capita $60,082 Estimates standard of living
Debt-to-GDP Ratio 122% Determines whether annual income can pay off debt
Statistics for Q3 2022, Advanced Estimate

Nominal GDP

U.S. gross domestic product was $25.66 trillion for the third quarter of 2022. U.S. GDP is the economic output of the entire country. It includes goods and services produced in the U.S. To find out the total economic output for all American citizens and companies, regardless of their geographic location, you'd want to look at U.S. gross national product, also known as gross national income.

There are four components of nominal GDP:

  • Personal consumption expenditures: All the goods and services produced for household use—it's usually almost 70% of total GDP
  • Business investment: Goods and services purchased by the private business sector
  • Government spending: Includes federal, state, and local governments
  • Net exports: The dollar value of total exports minus total imports

Real GDP

Real GDP was $20.02 trillion for the third quarter of 2022. This measure takes nominal GDP and strips out the effects of inflation by using 2012 prices. That's why it's usually lower than nominal GDP.

It's the best statistic to compare U.S. output year-over-year since it strips out price increases and shows only changes in output at constant prices. That's why the BEA uses it to calculate the GDP growth rate. It's also used to calculate GDP per capita. 

GDP Growth Rate

The current GDP growth rate in real GDP, measured in 2012 prices, was 2.6% in Q3 2022. This indicator measures the annualized percentage increase in economic output since the last quarter. It's the best way to assess U.S. economic growth.   

If you look at GDP by year, you'll see the ideal growth rate is between 2% and 3%.

Important

The Federal Reserve may take action to lower the growth rate if it rises higher than 3%, but it depends upon other economic factors.

GDP Per Capita

For Q3 2022, the U.S. real GDP per capita was $60,082. This indicator tells you the economic output by person and is the best estimate of the standard of living.

To compare the per capita GDP among countries, you can use purchasing power parity. It levels the playing field among them by comparing a basket of similar goods and taking out the effects of exchange rates.

Debt-to-GDP Ratio

The U.S. debt-to-GDP ratio for the third quarter of 2022 was 122%. That's the total U.S. debt of $31.3 trillion at the end of October divided by the nominal GDP of $25.66 trillion. Bond investors use this ratio to determine whether a country has enough income each year to pay off its debt. 

The U.S. debt-to-GDP ratio level is currently too high. The World Bank says that debt greater than 77% is past the "tipping point." The tipping point is where each percentage point increase in debt decreases annual real growth by .017 percentage points. There is also an increase in the risk that a country cannot repay its debts.

When interest rates climb, economic growth slows. That makes it more difficult for the country to repay its debt. The U.S. has avoided this fate so far because it is one of the strongest economies in the world.

Note

Even when the economy was growing at a 2% to 3% healthy rate, the federal government did not reduce the debt. Instead, it kept spending at an unsustainable level.

If you review the national debt by year, you'll see only one other time the debt-to-GDP ratio was even close to the current level. The debt-to-GDP ratio rose to 119% in 1946 to pay for World War II. Following that, it remained safely below 77% until the 2008 financial crisis. The combination of lower taxes and higher government spending pushed the debt-to-GDP ratio to unsafe levels, where it has remained.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the current GDP of the U.S.?

The current GDP of the U.S. is over $25.66 trillion. That was the annualized, seasonally adjusted rate for the third quarter of 2022.

How much of the U.S. GDP is spent on the military?

National defense spending accounted for nearly $755 billion of federal spending in 2021. That means it represents roughly 3.1% of the total GDP for the year.

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Sources
The Balance uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
  1. Bureau of Economic Analysis. "National Data: National Income and Product Accounts: Table 1.1.5 Gross Domestic Product."

  2. Bureau of Economic Analysis. "National Data: National Income and Product Accounts: Table 1.1.6 Real Gross Domestic Product, Chained Dollars."

  3. Bureau of Economic Analysis. "Gross Domestic Product, Third Quarter 2022 (Advance Estimate)."

  4. Stanford University. "The Facts of Economic Growth," Pages 5-8.

  5. Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. "Real Gross Domestic Product Per Capita."

  6. International Monetary Fund. "Purchasing Power Parity: Weights Matter."

  7. FiscalData.Treasury.gov. "Debt to the Penny."

  8. World Bank. "Finding the Tipping Point—When Sovereign Debt Turns Bad," Page 5.

  9. Treasury Direct. "Historical Debt Outstanding – Annual."

  10. Bureau of Economic Analysis. "Gross Domestic Product, 3rd Quarter 2009 (Third Estimate); Corporate Profits, 3rd Quarter 2009 (Revised Estimate)."

  11. USAspending.gov. "Federal Spending By Category and Agency."

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