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US real GDP, 1947 to 2026

US real GDP, quarterly, from the Bureau of Economic Analysis via FRED. · updated Jul 2026

About this statistic

US real GDP stood at $24,180 in 2026, up 0.5% on the previous period.

The latest reading is $24.2 trillion, for January 2026, against $24.1 trillion in October 2025. The series is quarterly (FRED series GDPC1) and runs from January 1947.

How it is measured

Gross domestic product with prices held at 2017 levels: the volume of goods and services actually produced, from the BEA's national accounts, quarterly at a seasonally adjusted annual rate. This is the series recessions are officially dated against. The data reaches us through FRED, the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis's data service, and originates with the Bureau of Economic Analysis.

What the curve shows

Real output stands at $24.2 trillion (2017 dollars, annualized) as of January 2026, versus $2.18 trillion at the window's start; that entire gain is more production, not higher prices. Recessions are the visible dents; their official dates come largely from this line.

Frequently asked questions
Why 2017 dollars?
A constant price base is needed to measure volume, and the BEA currently chains from 2017. The base year changes the level's units but not the growth rates, which is what the series is for.
How is this different from nominal GDP?
Nominal GDP mixes production and inflation; real GDP is production only. In high-inflation years the two diverge sharply, and real GDP is the honest measure of whether the economy grew.
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US real GDP — Kitegraph