Economic Growth Over the Years
A Comparison of GDP and Major Events throughout the Years
| Year | Real GDP (trillions) | Nominal GDP (trillions) | GDP Growth Rate | S&P 500 | Events Affecting GDP |
| 1929 | $1.109 | $0.105 | NA | -0.083 | Depression began. |
| 1930 | $1.015 | $0.092 | -8.5% | -0.2512 | Smoot-Hawley. |
| 1931 | $0.950 | $0.077 | -6.4% | -0.4384 | Dust Bowl. |
| 1932 | $0.828 | $0.060 | -12.90% | -0.0864 | Hoover tax hikes. |
| 1933 | $0.817 | $0.057 | -1.2% | 0.4998 | New Deal. |
| 1934 | $0.906 | $0.067 | 10.8% | -0.0119 | U.S. debt rose. |
| 1935 | $0.986 | $0.074 | 8.9% | 0.4674 | Social Security. |
| 1936 | $1.113 | $0.085 | 12.9% | 0.3194 | FDR tax hikes. |
| 1937 | $1.170 | $0.093 | 5.1% | -0.3534 | Depression returned. |
| 1938 | $1.132 | $0.087 | -3.3% | 0.2928 | Depression ended. |
| 1939 | $1.222 | $0.093 | 8.0% | -0.011 | WWII. Dust Bowl ended. |
| 1940 | $1.330 | $0.103 | 8.8% | -0.1067 | Defense increased. |
| 1941 | $1.566 | $0.129 | 17.7% | -0.1277 | Pearl Harbor. |
| 1942 | $1.862 | $0.166 | 18.9% | 0.1917 | |
| 1943 | $2.178 | $0.203 | 17.0% | 0.2506 | Defense spending tripled. |
| 1944 | $2.352 | $0.224 | 8.0% | 0.1903 | Bretton Woods. |
| 1945 | $2.329 | $0.228 | -1.0% | 0.3582 | WWII ended. Recession. |
| 1946 | $2.058 | $0.228 | -11.60% | -0.0843 | Budget cuts. |
| 1947 | $2.035 | $0.250 | -1.1% | 0.052 | Cold War began. |
| 1948 | $2.119 | $0.275 | 4.1% | 0.057 | Recession. |
| 1949 | $2.107 | $0.273 | -0.6% | 0.183 | NATO. Fair Deal. |
| 1950 | $2.290 | $0.300 | 8.7% | 0.3081 | Korean War. |
| 1951 | $2.474 | $0.347 | 8.0% | 0.2368 | |
| 1952 | $2.575 | $0.367 | 4.1% | 0.1815 | |
| 1953 | $2.696 | $0.389 | 4.7% | -0.0121 | War ended. Recession. |
| 1954 | $2.680 | $0.391 | -0.6% | 0.5256 | Dow returned to 1929 high. |
| 1955 | $2.871 | $0.426 | 7.1% | 0.326 | |
| 1956 | $2.932 | $0.449 | 2.1% | 0.0744 | |
| 1957 | $2.994 | $0.474 | 2.1% | -0.1046 | Recession. |
| 1958 | $2.972 | $0.481 | -0.7% | 0.4372 | Recession ended. |
| 1959 | $3.178 | $0.522 | 6.9% | 0.1206 | Fed raised rates. |
| 1960 | $3.260 | $0.542 | 2.6% | 0.0034 | Recession. |
| 1961 | $3.344 | $0.562 | 2.6% | 0.2664 | JFK's deficit spending ended recession. |
| 1962 | $3.548 | $0.604 | 6.1% | -0.0881 | |
| 1963 | $3.703 | $0.638 | 4.4% | 0.2261 | |
| 1964 | $3.916 | $0.685 | 5.8% | 0.1642 | LBJ's Medicare, Medicaid. |
| 1965 | $4.171 | $0.742 | 6.5% | 0.124 | |
| 1966 | $4.446 | $0.813 | 6.6% | -0.0997 | Vietnam War. |
| 1967 | $4.568 | $0.860 | 2.7% | 0.238 | |
| 1968 | $4.792 | $0.941 | 4.9% | 0.1081 | Moon landing. |
| 1969 | $4.942 | $1.018 | 3.1% | -0.0824 | Nixon took office. |
| 1970 | $4.951 | $1.073 | 0.2% | 0.0356 | Recession. |
| 1971 | $5.114 | $1.165 | 3.3% | 0.1422 | Wage-price controls. |
| 1972 | $5.383 | $1.279 | 5.3% | 0.1876 | Stagflation. |
| 1973 | $5.687 | $1.425 | 5.6% | -0.1431 | End of gold standard. |
| 1974 | $5.657 | $1.545 | -0.5% | -0.259 | Watergate. |
| 1975 | $5.645 | $1.685 | -0.2% | 0.37 | Recession ended. |
| 1976 | $5.949 | $1.873 | 5.4% | 0.2383 | Fed lowered rate. |
| 1977 | $6.224 | $2.082 | 4.6% | -0.0698 | |
| 1978 | $6.569 | $2.352 | 5.5% | 0.0651 | Fed raised rate to 20% to stop inflation. |
| 1979 | $6.777 | $2.627 | 3.2% | 0.1852 | |
| 1980 | $6.759 | $2.857 | -0.3% | 0.3174 | Recession. |
| 1981 | $6.931 | $3.207 | 2.5% | -0.047 | Reagan tax cut. |
| 1982 | $6.806 | $3.344 | -1.8% | 0.2042 | Recession ended. |
| 1983 | $7.118 | $3.634 | 4.6% | 0.2234 | Tax hike and defense spending. |
| 1984 | $7.633 | $4.038 | 7.2% | 0.0615 | |
| 1985 | $7.951 | $4.339 | 4.2% | 0.3124 | |
| 1986 | $8.226 | $4.580 | 3.5% | 0.1849 | Tax cut. |
| 1987 | $8.511 | $4.855 | 3.5% | 0.0581 | Black Monday. |
| 1988 | $8.867 | $5.236 | 4.2% | 0.1654 | Fed raised rates. |
| 1989 | $9.192 | $5.642 | 3.7% | 0.3148 | S&L Crisis. |
| 1990 | $9.366 | $5.963 | 1.9% | -0.0306 | Recession. |
| 1991 | $9.355 | $6.158 | -0.1% | 0.3023 | Recession. |
| 1992 | $9.685 | $6.520 | 3.5% | 0.0749 | NAFTA drafted |
| 1993 | $9.952 | $6.859 | 2.8% | 0.0997 | Balanced Budget Act. |
| 1994 | $10.35 | $7.287 | 4.0% | 0.0133 | |
| 1995 | $10.63 | $7.640 | 2.7% | 0.372 | Fed raised rate. |
| 1996 | $11.03 | $8.073 | 3.8% | 0.2268 | Welfare reform. |
| 1997 | $11.52 | $8.578 | 4.4% | 0.331 | |
| 1998 | $12.04 | $9.063 | 4.5% | 0.2834 | LTCM crisis. |
| 1999 | $12.61 | $9.631 | 4.8% | 0.2089 | Repeal of Glass-Steagall. |
| 2000 | $13.13 | $10.25 | 4.1% | -0.0903 | Tech bubble burst. |
| 2001 | $13.26 | $10.58 | 1.0% | -0.1185 | 9/11 attacks. |
| 2002 | $13.49 | $10.94 | 1.7% | -0.2197 | War on Terror. |
| 2003 | $13.88 | $11.46 | 2.9% | 0.2836 | Iraq War. JGTRRA. |
| 2004 | $14.41 | $12.21 | 3.8% | 0.1074 | |
| 2005 | $14.91 | $13.04 | 3.5% | 0.0483 | Katrina. Bankruptcy Act. |
| 2006 | $15.34 | $13.82 | 2.9% | 0.1561 | Fed raised rates. |
| 2007 | $15.63 | $14.45 | 1.9% | 0.0548 | Bank crisis. |
| 2008 | $15.61 | $14.71 | -0.1% | -0.3655 | Financial crisis. |
| 2009 | $15.21 | $14.45 | -2.5% | 0.2594 | Stimulus Act. |
| 2010 | $15.60 | $14.99 | 2.6% | 0.1482 | ACA. Dodd-Frank. |
| 2011 | $15.84 | $15.54 | 1.6% | 0.021 | Japan earthquake. |
| 2012 | $16.20 | $16.20 | 2.2% | 0.1589 | Fiscal cliff. |
| 2013 | $16.50 | $16.79 | 1.8% | 0.3215 | Sequestration. |
| 2014 | $16.90 | $17.52 | 2.5% | 0.1352 | QE ends. |
| 2015 | $17.39 | $18.22 | 2.9% | 0.0136 | TPP. Iran deal. |
| 2016 | $17.66 | $18.71 | 1.6% | Presidential race. |