COVID-19 Impact on the Fourth-Quarter 2021 GDP Estimate: The increase in fourth quarter GDP reflected the continued economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the fourth quarter COVID-19 cases resulted in continued restrictions and disruptions in the operations of establishments in some parts of the country. Government assistance payments in the form of forgivable loans to businesses grants to state and local governments and social benefits to households all decreased as provisions of several federal programs expired or tapered off. The full economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic cannot

be quantified in the GDP estimate for the fourth quarter because the impacts are generally embedded in source data and cannot be separately identified.

 

Real gross domestic product (GDP) increased at an annual rate of 6.9 percent in the fourth quarter of 2021 according to the ""advance"" estimate released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. In the third quarter real GDP increased 2.3 percent. The increase in real GDP primarily reflected increases in private inventory investment exports personal consumption expenditures (PCE) and nonresidential fixed investment that were partly offset by decreases in both federal and state and local government spending. Imports which are a subtraction in the calculation of GDP increased.  

 

The increase in private inventory investment was led by retail and wholesale trade industries . Within retail inventory investment by motor vehicle dealers was the leading contributor. The increase in exports reflected increases in both goods and services. The increase in exports of goods was widespread and the leading contributors were consumer goods industrial supplies and materials and foods feeds and beverages. The increase in exports of services was led by travel. The increase in PCE primarily reflected an increase in services led by health care recreation and transportation. The increase in nonresidential fixed investment primarily reflected an increase in intellectual property products that was partly offset by a decrease in structures. The decrease in federal government spending primarily reflected a decrease in defense spending on intermediate goods and services. The decrease in state and local government spending reflected decreases in consumption expenditures (led by compensation of state and local government employees notably education) and in gross investment (led by new educational structures). The increase in imports primarily reflected an increase in goods (led by non-food and non-automotive consumer goods as well as capital goods). Real GDP accelerated in the fourth quarter increasing 6.9 percent after increasing 2.3 percent in the third quarter. The acceleration in real GDP in the fourth quarter primarily reflected an upturn in exports accelerations in private inventory investment and PCE and smaller decreases in residential fixed investment and federal government spending that were partly offset by a downturn in state and local government spending. Imports accelerated.

 

GDP for 2021: Real GDP increased 5.7 percent in 2021 (from the 2020 annual level to the 2021 annual level) in contrast to a decrease of 3.4 percent in 2020. The increase in real GDP in 2021 reflected increases in all major subcomponents led by PCE nonresidential fixed investment exports residential fixed investment and private inventory investment. Imports increased. The increase in PCE reflected increases in both goods and services. Within goods the leading contributors were ""other"" nondurable goods (including games and toys as well as pharmaceuticals) clothing and footwear and recreational goods and vehicles. Within services the leading contributors were food services and accommodations as well as health care. The increase in nonresidential fixed investment reflected increases in equipment (led by information processing equipment) and in intellectual property products (led by software as well as research and development) that were partly offset by a decrease in structures (widespread across most categories). The increase in exports reflected an increase in goods (mainly non-automotive capital goods) that was partly offset by a decrease in services (led by travel as well as royalties and license fees). The increase in residential fixed investment mainly reflected an increase in new single family construction. The increase in private inventory investment primarily reflected an increase in wholesale trade (mainly in durable goods industries).