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Economic Expansions in Order of Duration
This chart shows the length of economic expansions from January 1, 1900, through December 31, 2024. The most-recent expansion began in October 2022 and lasted until December 2024.
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Economic Contractions in Order of Duration
This chart shows the length of economic contractions from January 1, 1900, through December 31, 2024. Note that during this time period, few downturns lasted more than 16 months. The previous recession lasted 2 months.
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Rising College Costs Compared With Inflation
As this chart shows, between the 1995-1996 academic year and the 2024-2025 academic year, the average cost of attending a public or private four-year college has almost always risen more sharply than the rate of overall inflation.
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Inflation and Unemployment Rates (Decade Averages)
This chart, which compares inflation with unemployment rates for the period from January 1950 through December 2024, shows that for the most recent period, the United States is experiencing below-average inflation and an unemployment rate that is slightly above the historic average of 5.6%.
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Consumer Price Index and Its Components
This chart tracks the Consumer Price Index and its components for the period from December 31, 1985, through December 31, 2024 (1985 = 100).
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Recent and Historical Average Annual Change in Home Prices in Selected Areas
Over the past 30 years, national home prices have grown 4.55% per year on average vs. 8.87% in the past five years. In recent years and in the long term, growth rates have varied widely from state to state and region to region.
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Inflation's Impact on Retirement Income Needs
This chart illustrates how inflation could impact your income needs in retirement. For example, if you were to start retirement with an annual income of $40,000, it could have to grow to over $62,000 in 15 years and over $97,000 in 30 years if it were to keep up with a 3% annual rate of inflation. If the annual inflation were 5%, you could need over $83,000 after 15 years and over $172,000 after 30 years just to keep up with it.
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Inflation and S&P 500 Price-Earnings Ratio
This chart compares inflation and S&P 500 price-earnings ratio over the past 75 years.
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30-Year Conventional Mortgage Rate and Real Home Prices ($)
This chart compares the 30-year conventional mortgage rate and real home prices ($) annually over the past 30 years.
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Ratio of S&P 500 Market Cap to GDP and Inflation, Past 40 Years
This chart compares the ratio of S&P 500 market cap to GDP and inflation annually over the past 40 years.
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Housing Starts (in 000s) and Federal Funds Rate, Past 50 Years
This chart compares housing starts (in 000s) and federal funds rate annually over the past 50 years.
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S&P 500 Market Cap (% of GDP) and Federal Budget Gap (% of GDP), Past 20 Years
This chart shows the S&P 500 market cap (% of GDP) and federal budget gap (% of GDP) over the past 20 years.
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Savings Rate, Per Capita Personal Income, and Per Capita Personal Expenditures, Past 40 Years
This chart compares the savings rate with personal income and expenditures quarterly over the 40-year period ended December 31, 2024.
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Inflation and Unemployment, Past 50 Years
This chart shows inflation and unemployment over the past 50 years.
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30-Year Mortgage Rates, Federal Funds Rates, and Spread of Mortgage Rates to Fed Funds, Past 30 Years
This chart compares the 30-year mortgage rates, federal funds rates, and spread of mortgage rates to fed funds monthly over the past 30 years.
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