Duration of US economic recoveries since World War II, at a glance
The expansion of the U.S. economy will hit its six-year mark in June. Though growth overall has generally been mild, this recovery has proved to be one of the most durable and steady periods of growth since World War II.
At 69 months (assuming it endures through March) and counting, this recovery is the fifth-longest since World War II and sixth-longest since record-keeping began in the 1850s.
The longest recovery on record was the 10-year period that lasted from March 1991 until March 2001, according to the National Bureau of Economic Research, which officially determines the beginnings and ends of recoveries and recessions.
Below are the U.S. economy's previous cycles of expansion in the post-World War II era:
DATES | DURATION (in months) |
March 1991-March 2001 | 120 |
February 1961-December 1969 | 106 |
November 1982-July 1990 | 92 |
November 2001-December 2007 | 73 |
June 2009 -present | 69 (assuming growth through March 2015) |
March 1975-January 1980 | 58 |
October 1949-July 1953 | 45 |
May 1954-August 1957 | 39 |
October 1945-November 1948 | 37 |
November 1970-November 1973 | 36 |