Democratic Presidents Manage the Economy Better Than Republicans

Data updated for 2024   -   Click on a chart to see the facts

DEMOCRATS AND ECONOMIC GROWTH


Since World War 2

    • Ten of the last eleven recessions have begun under Republican Presidents (https://www.nber.org/cycles.html)
    • More than twice as many jobs are created per year under Democratic Presidents than Republican Presidents (2.25 million jobs/year under Democratic Presidents versus 796,000 jobs/year under Republican Presidents.)
    • Budget deficits as a percentage of GDP under Republican Presidents are collectively 8.5% higher than under Democratic Presidents

    Since 1961

    • GDP growth has been 45% higher under Democratic Presidents.
    • Business Investment Growth has been 134% higher under Democratic Presidents.
    • Unemployment has been 6% higher under Republican Presidents.
    • Average increase in weekly earnings have been positive under Democratic Presidents and negative under Republican Presidents

    Job Growth

    Democratic Presidents have helped create 56 million more jobs than Republican Presidents, and on year-to-year basis jobs have grown more than twice as fast under Democratic Presidents as under Republican Presidents.
    • Total jobs created under Democratic Presidents: 87,825,000
    • Total jobs created under Republican Presidents: 31,869,00
    • Average yearly growth in jobs under Democratic Presidents: 2,251,923
    • Average yearly growth in jobs under Republican Presidents: 796,725

    GDP Growth

    Real Gross Domestic Product growth under Democratic Presidents has been 44% higher than during Republican Presidents.
    • Average GDP growth per year under Democratic Presidents: 3.46%
    • Average GDP growth per year under Republican Presidents: 2.4%

    Business Investment Growth

    Real Gross Domestic Product growth under Democratic Presidents has been 45% higher than during Republican Presidents.
    • Average growth per year under Democratic Presidents: 6.64%
    • Average growth per year under Republican Presidents: 2.84%

    Federal Budget Deficits

    Federal budget deficits as a percentage of GDP under Republican Presidents are collectively 8.5% higher than under Democratic Presidents.
    • Democratic Presidents' deficits averaged 2.57%% of GDP per year
    • Republican Presidents' deficits averaged 2.68% of GDP per year

    Unemployment

    Unemployment under Republican Presidents has been 6% higher than under Democratic Presidents.
    • Average unemployment per year during Democratic Presidents: 5.71%
    • Average unemployment per year during Republican Presidents: 6.07%

    Growth In Spending

    Federal Spending has increased 135% faster under Republican Presidents than under Democratic Presidents
    • Democratic Presidents' annual spending increased by an average of $52.2 billion per year
    • Republican Presidents' annual spending increased by an average of $122.6 billion per year

    Balance of Trade

    Trade deficits under Republican Presidents have been 15% higher than under Democratic Presidents.
    • Total trade deficit under Democratic Administrations (in millions): $7,798,777
    • Total trade deficit under Republican Administrations (in millions): $8,066,657

    *Jere Glover has been collecting and publishing this data since 1980.
Data compiled here come from official government sources such as Statistical Abstracts of the United States, the Economic Reports of the President, and the US Census Bureau.
Contact: Jere Glover jerewglover@msn.com