Educational content. GDP data verified April 2026 from BEA / IMF / World Bank. Data revised frequently; always check primary sources for live figures.

US GDP Data: BEA Releases and the 2026 Numbers

The BEA releases quarterly GDP data in three estimates: advance, second, and third. Here is what the latest release shows, what the three estimates mean, and where to find the primary data yourself.

Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) | Last verified April 2026

Latest Release: Q4 2025 Third Estimate

BEA Release | 9 April 2026

+0.5%

Q4 2025 real GDP growth, annualised (third estimate)

Prior quarter (Q3 2025)

+4.4%

2025 Full-year real growth

~2.0%

Source: BEA press release, 9 April 2026

The Q4 2025 deceleration to 0.5 percent annualised from Q3's 4.4 percent reflects the lagged impact of the Federal Reserve's interest-rate cycle, moderating consumer spending, and significant volatility in inventory accumulation and government expenditure patterns. Underlying final sales to domestic private purchasers (which strips out inventories and government) were more stable.

The Three Estimates: Advance, Second, Third

BEA does not wait for all data to be collected before releasing GDP estimates. Instead, it issues three increasingly complete estimates for each quarter. Understanding this process helps you interpret the headline numbers and judge how much revision risk remains.

Advance Estimate

~30 days after quarter ends

~75% of component data available. Uses survey estimates for retail, inventory, and trade. Most likely to be revised.

Second Estimate

~60 days after quarter ends

More complete trade, retail, and inventory data. Incorporates Treasury and financial sector updates. Typically smaller revisions.

Third Estimate

~90 days after quarter ends

Most complete data including Census Bureau surveys and IRS data. Still subject to annual revision benchmarks but the closest to final.

Beyond the three quarterly estimates, BEA also conducts annual revisions (each July) and comprehensive benchmark revisions (every 5 years) that can revise historical GDP back decades. The 2023 comprehensive revision, for example, revised US GDP levels by tens of billions of dollars.

BEA Release Calendar: Q1 2026 and Beyond

QuarterEstimateExpected Date
Q1 2026Advance30 April 2026
Q1 2026Second29 May 2026
Q1 2026Third26 June 2026
Q2 2026Advance30 July 2026
Q2 2026Second28 August 2026
Q2 2026Third25 September 2026

Dates are approximate and may shift. Check bea.gov/news/schedule for confirmed dates.

Historical US GDP: Key Years

YearNominal GDPReal Growth
2025$29.0T~2.0%
2024$28.2T+2.8%
2023$27.4T+2.5%
2022$25.5T+2.1%
2021$23.3T+5.9%
2020$21.0T-2.8%
2019$21.4T+2.3%
2018$20.5T+2.9%
2015$18.2T+2.9%
2010$15.0T+2.5%
2009$14.4T-2.6%
2008$14.7T-0.1%
2000$10.3T+4.1%

Source: BEA NIPA Table 1.1.1 and 1.1.5. Real growth is year-on-year. Figures rounded.

How to Find GDP Data Yourself

BEA.gov

Primary source. NIPA tables (1.1.1 for real growth rates, 1.1.5 for dollar levels). GDP news releases. Advance/second/third estimates.

FRED (St. Louis Fed)

Best interface for time-series analysis. Search 'GDPC1' for real GDP, 'GDP' for nominal. Download CSV. Chart with recessions shaded.

World Bank Open Data

International comparisons. US GDP alongside other countries in a single interface.

IMF Data

World Economic Outlook database for projections and historical data across all member countries.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most recent US GDP figure?
The most recent official US GDP figure is the Q4 2025 third estimate, released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis on 9 April 2026. Real GDP grew at an annualised rate of 0.5 percent in Q4 2025. This compares to 4.4 percent annualised in Q3 2025. Full-year 2025 nominal GDP was approximately $29 trillion, with real GDP growing approximately 2 percent for the year. The next major release is the Q1 2026 advance estimate on 30 April 2026.
What is the difference between the advance, second, and third GDP estimates?
The Bureau of Economic Analysis releases three estimates of GDP for each quarter. The advance estimate comes approximately 30 days after the quarter ends and is based on incomplete data; it is the first official look. The second estimate follows about 60 days after quarter-end with more complete data on retail trade, inventories, and international trade. The third estimate comes approximately 90 days after quarter-end and incorporates the most complete data available, including revisions from the Treasury and IRS. In most quarters the revisions between estimates are small, but they can occasionally be significant.
Where can I find US GDP data?
The primary source is the Bureau of Economic Analysis at bea.gov, which publishes all NIPA tables including GDP and its components. The St. Louis Fed's FRED database (fred.stlouisfed.org) provides the same data in a more user-friendly format with download options. The World Bank Open Data portal and OECD.stat also provide US GDP alongside international comparisons. For real-time release calendars, the BEA publishes a forward-looking schedule at bea.gov/news/schedule.
What caused the Q4 2025 GDP slowdown to 0.5%?
The Q4 2025 slowdown to 0.5 percent annualised from Q3's 4.4 percent reflected several factors: the lagged effect of the Federal Reserve's interest-rate hikes (which take 12-18 months to fully feed through to the real economy), a moderation in consumer spending growth after a strong Q3, some softening in residential investment as high mortgage rates continued to weigh on housing, and inventory dynamics. The sharp quarter-to-quarter swing from 4.4 to 0.5 percent reflects significant volatility in inventory changes and government spending, rather than a collapse in underlying consumer or business activity.
What does annualised GDP mean?
When BEA reports 'Q4 2025 real GDP grew 0.5 percent annualised,' it means the quarterly growth rate has been converted to what it would equal if sustained for a full year. The actual quarter-on-quarter growth was approximately 0.125 percent. To annualise a quarterly rate, BEA compounds it (approximately multiplying by 4, with adjustment for compounding). This convention is specific to US GDP reporting; most other countries report year-over-year comparisons, which can create apparent discrepancies when comparing US and international growth figures.

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