Visualizing GDP: A Closer Look Inside The Q3 Second Estimate

The chart below is a way to visualize real GDP change since 2007. It uses a stacked column chart to segment the four major components of GDP with a dashed line overlay to show the sum of the four, which is real GDP itself. Here is the latest overview from the Bureau of Labor Statistics:

The increase in real GDP in the third quarter primarily reflected positive contributions from personal consumption expenditures (PCE), nonresidential fixed investment, state and local government spending, residential fixed investment, and exports that were partly offset by a negative contribution from private inventory investment. Imports, which are a subtraction in the calculation of GDP, increased.

Let’s take a closer look at the contributions of GDP of the four major subcomponents. The data source for this chart is the Excel file accompanying the BEA’s latest GDP news release (see the links in the right column). Specifically, it uses Table 2: Contributions to Percent Change in Real Gross Domestic Product.

Note: The conventional practice is to round GDP to one decimal place, the latest at 2.1. The 2.08 GDP in the chart above is the real GDP calculated to two decimal places.

Over the time frame of this chart, the Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) component has shown the most consistent correlation with real GDP itself. When PCE has been positive, GDP has usually been positive, and vice versa. In the latest GDP data, the contribution of PCE came at 2.05 of the 2.08 real GDP. This is down from the 2.42 of Q2.

The contribution from Gross Private Domestic Investment has dropped sharply from the previous quarter.

Net Exports have benefited from dollar strength in the past two quarters, although the latest has slipped into the shallow red.

Here is a look at the contribution changes between over the past four quarters. The difference between the two rightmost columns was addressed in the BEA’s GDP summary quoted above.