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Thursday, September 27, 2018
Contact: Jeannine Aversa, 301.278.9003

GDP INCREASES IN SECOND QUARTER
“Third” estimate of GDP
Real gross domestic product (GDP) increased 4.2 percent in the second quarter of 2018, according to the
“third” estimate released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The growth rate was unchanged from the
“second” estimate released in August. In the first quarter, real GDP increased 2.2 percent.

The increase in consumer spending reflected
increases in services and in both durable and
nondurable goods.

Quarter-to-Quarter Growth in Real GDP

6

4
Percent

GDP highlights
The second-quarter increase in real GDP reflected
increases in consumer spending, business
investment, exports, and government spending,
while inventory investment and housing
investment decreased. Imports, which are a
subtraction in the calculation of GDP, decreased.

2

0
Q3

Q4

Q1

2014

Q2

Q3

Q4

Q1

2015

Q2

Q3

Q4

Q1

Q2

2016

Q3

Q4

2017

Q1

Q2

2018

Real GDP growth is measured at seasonally adjusted annual rates.

The increase in business investment reflected increases in all three components: intellectual property
products, structures, and equipment.
Updates to GDP
While overall GDP growth was unrevised from the second estimate, there were small revisions in the
subcomponents, reflecting upward revisions in most categories, which were offset by a downward
revision to inventory investment.
Corporate profits
Corporate profits increased 3.0 percent at a
quarterly rate in the second quarter of 2018
after increasing 1.2 percent in the first quarter.

Quarter-to-Quarter Growth in Corporate Profits
6
4
2

• Profits of domestic nonfinancial corporations
increased 4.2 percent after increasing 2.7
percent.
• Profits of domestic financial corporations
increased 3.7 percent after decreasing 2.1
percent.
• Profits from the rest of the world (net)
decreased 0.9 percent after increasing 0.8 percent.

0
-2
-4

-6

Q3 Q4
2014

Q1

Q2 Q3
2015

Q4

Q1

Q2 Q3
2016

Q4

Q1

Q2 Q3
2017

Q4

Q1 Q2
2018

Corporate profits growth is measured as the percent change from the previous quarter.

Corporate profits increased 7.3 percent from the second quarter of 2017.

BEA data—including GDP, personal income, the balance of payments, foreign direct investment, the input-output accounts, and
regional economic data—are available at www.bea.gov. E-mail alerts are also available. The “advance” estimate of GDP for the
third quarter of 2018 will be released on October 26, 2018.