How we count
Every number comes from an official public source: US government agencies, the World Bank, and NBER for recession dates. This page follows one number from the agency’s file to the screen. Then it sets out how we count and check, and how you may use the data.
Where does a number come from?
This is the path of the first number on the jobs screen, from the agency’s file to the bar. Every number on the site takes the same path.
The agency
US Bureau of Labor Statistics (Current Population Survey)LNS14000000
Downloaded
Our program downloaded the agency’s file on 6 October 2026. It kept a copy and recorded its fingerprint, a code that changes if even one character of the file changes.
Checked
A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label.
Counted
Each term runs from the month before it began to its last month. January counts for the president leaving office. Every term follows this rule.
On the screen
Reagan 1: 7.5% in Jan 1981, then 7.3% in Jan 1985. The bar shows the change, −0.2 points.Reagan 1: 7.5% in Jan 1981, then 7.3% in Jan 1985. The bar shows the change, −0.2 points.Reagan 2: 7.3% in Jan 1985, then 5.4% in Jan 1989. The bar shows the change, −1.9 points.Bush (H.W.): 5.4% in Jan 1989, then 7.3% in Jan 1993. The bar shows the change, +1.9 points.Clinton 1: 7.3% in Jan 1993, then 5.3% in Jan 1997. The bar shows the change, −2.0 points.Clinton 2: 5.3% in Jan 1997, then 4.2% in Jan 2001. The bar shows the change, −1.1 points.Bush (W.) 1: 4.2% in Jan 2001, then 5.3% in Jan 2005. The bar shows the change, +1.1 points.Bush (W.) 2: 5.3% in Jan 2005, then 7.8% in Jan 2009. The bar shows the change, +2.5 points.Obama 1: 7.8% in Jan 2009, then 8.0% in Jan 2013. The bar shows the change, +0.2 points.Obama 2: 8.0% in Jan 2013, then 4.7% in Jan 2017. The bar shows the change, −3.3 points.Trump 1: 4.7% in Jan 2017, then 6.4% in Jan 2021. The bar shows the change, +1.7 points.Biden: 6.4% in Jan 2021, then 4.0% in Jan 2025. The bar shows the change, −2.4 points.Trump 2: 4.0% in Jan 2025, then 4.2% in Sep 2026. The bar shows the change, +0.2 points.
The path of one number, from the agency’s file to the screen.
How do we check every number?
Programs check every number. When a check fails, the number stays off the site, or the site isn’t built at all.
| What is checked | How | If it fails |
|---|---|---|
| A series we download | A program downloads the agency’s file and keeps a copy with its fingerprint. It also checks the series’ title against the agency’s own label. | The series stays off the site. |
| A number we copy from a document | Some numbers exist only in a table inside a PDF. One program finds the exact line in our saved copy of the document. Then a second, separate program reads the same file again and must find the same numbers. | The number stays off the site. |
| A law in the first-year table | A program finds the law’s header line, with its number and date, in our saved copy of the law. | The table shows only the dates set by law. |
| Every number on every page | When the site is built, a program reads every number on every page. Each one must match the data the pages are built from, at the same rounding. | The site isn’t built. |
| A period the agency did not measure | It stays empty. We never fill it in, and the screen gives the agency’s reason in its own words. | The site isn’t built. |
Which term does a month count for?
Each period counts for the president who held office for most of its days. Terms change on 20 January. So January counts for the president leaving office, and the rest of the year counts for the new one.
A month: January
counts for the president leaving office
A quarter: January to March
counts for the new president
A calendar year
counts for the new president
A budget year: October to September
counts for the new president
One handover, four kinds of period. The filled part is the side that gets the period.
How we counted
A term’s change is measured from the period just before its first one. For monthly figures that is January of the first year; for quarterly figures, the last quarter of the year before; for yearly figures, the year before. Every handover in this period happened on its scheduled day, so no year is shared between two presidents. The term still running counts up to the latest period the agency has published, and the screens say “so far” next to it.
Who planned a new president’s first budget year?
The federal budget year starts on 1 October, so every new president takes office in the middle of one that the president before planned. We count that year for the new president, like any other year, and show who planned it.
The first budget year of each term
A budget year runs from October to September and is named by the year it ends in. By law, the president’s budget plan is due to Congress by the first Monday in February, for the budget year that starts in October. So a new president’s first budget year was planned by the president in office the winter before, and it was already running on the day the new term began. The first year built on the new president’s own plan starts in October of the first year in office. Congress writes the spending laws, and the president signs or vetoes them. The law listed is the one that set spending for the full budget year.
| Term | First budget year | Budget plan for it sent by | Full-year spending law signed by | Law, and the day it was signed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reagan 1 | 1 Oct 1980 to 30 Sep 1981 | Jimmy Carter | Reagan 1 | Public Law 97-12, 5 Jun 1981 |
| Reagan 2 | 1 Oct 1984 to 30 Sep 1985 | Reagan 1 | Reagan 1 | Public Law 98-473, 12 Oct 1984 |
| Bush (H.W.) | 1 Oct 1988 to 30 Sep 1989 | Reagan 2 | Reagan 2 | Public Law 100-463, 1 Oct 1988 |
| Clinton 1 | 1 Oct 1992 to 30 Sep 1993 | Bush (H.W.) | Bush (H.W.) | Public Law 102-396, 6 Oct 1992 |
| Clinton 2 | 1 Oct 1996 to 30 Sep 1997 | Clinton 1 | Clinton 1 | Public Law 104-208, 30 Sep 1996 |
| Bush (W.) 1 | 1 Oct 2000 to 30 Sep 2001 | Clinton 2 | Clinton 2 | Public Law 106-554, 21 Dec 2000 |
| Bush (W.) 2 | 1 Oct 2004 to 30 Sep 2005 | Bush (W.) 1 | Bush (W.) 1 | Public Law 108-447, 8 Dec 2004 |
| Obama 1 | 1 Oct 2008 to 30 Sep 2009 | Bush (W.) 2 | Obama 1 | Public Law 111-8, 11 Mar 2009 |
| Obama 2 | 1 Oct 2012 to 30 Sep 2013 | Obama 1 | Obama 2 | Public Law 113-6, 26 Mar 2013 |
| Trump 1 | 1 Oct 2016 to 30 Sep 2017 | Obama 2 | Trump 1 | Public Law 115-31, 5 May 2017 |
| Biden | 1 Oct 2020 to 30 Sep 2021 | Trump 1 | Trump 1 | Public Law 116-260, 27 Dec 2020 |
| Trump 2 | 1 Oct 2024 to 30 Sep 2025 | Biden | Trump 2 | Public Law 119-4, 15 Mar 2025 |
How we counted
The public accounts screen also shows a second count under How we counted, with each term’s budget years moved one year later. The main screen keeps the rule above, the same for every term.
Why is the newest figure sometimes not on a bar?
Agencies publish some figures early and correct them later. Bars use final figures only. Where an early figure exists, How we counted names it in the agency’s own words and doesn’t show its value.
| Where | Release | The agency’s words |
|---|---|---|
| Did unemployment go up or down? | Average hourly earnings, production and nonsupervisory employees, in 1982-84 dollars, seasonally adjusted (payroll survey). The month August 2026, for Trump 2 | “footnote P: preliminary” |
| Did unemployment go up or down? | All employees, total nonfarm payroll jobs, seasonally adjusted (payroll survey). The month September 2026, for Trump 2 | “footnote P: preliminary” |
| Did the uninsured rate go up or down? | People under 65 with no health insurance, NHIS early release (preliminary data), 2024-2025, published May 2026 | “All estimates in this report are based on preliminary data from the 2025 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS).” |
What if an agency changes how it measures?
Sometimes an agency changes how it measures and says the old and new figures don’t compare. Then we show each version on its own and never count a change across the switch.
0%2%4%6%8%10%12%14%16%
13.0%14.5%14.8%12.3%12.3%10.2%Old income questionsNew income questionsNew processing system
The official poverty rate, in three versions of the survey, never joined.
The Census Bureau measured two years both ways: 2013 (14.5% with the older version, 14.8% with the newer) and 2017 (12.3% both ways). The poverty screen shows each version on its own, so no bar crosses a switch. Source: US Census Bureau, Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement (CPS ASEC), series Table 2, block All Races, All people, Below poverty, Percent; the 2013 row with footnote 5 and the 2017 row with footnote 4 (updated processing system); kept years 2017 onward.
Every change of method that changes a bar
Each change below comes from the agency’s own record, quoted in its words. If the agency started a new series, or said the figures don’t compare, the term shows two parts. If it kept one series, the term has one bar and a numbered note under the chart.
| Series | When | What the screen does | The agency’s words |
|---|---|---|---|
| Did unemployment go up or down?Unemployment rate (U-3, official headline), ages 16 and over, seasonally adjusted | Revisions in the Current Population Survey Effective January 1994 | One bar, with a note | “averaged 0.5 percentage point higher than the rate from the CPS ... BLS will not, however, use the parallel survey data to reissue official estimates” |
| Did unemployment go up or down?Labor force participation rate, ages 16 and over, seasonally adjusted | Revisions in the Current Population Survey Effective January 1994 | One bar, with a note | “The labor force participation rate was estimated to be higher in the parallel survey than in the CPS. ... The labor force participation rate increased by a total of 0.6 percentage point, with 0.2 percentage point due to population controls.” |
| Did unemployment go up or down?Employment-population ratio, ages 25 to 54, seasonally adjusted | January 1994 | One bar, with a note | “CPS redesign implemented in January 1994, including questionnaire changes and updated population controls.” |
| How fast did grocery prices rise?CPI-U food at home (groceries), US city average, not seasonally adjusted | 1999 | One bar, with a note | “Began using a geometric mean formula for most basic indexes” |
| How fast did consumer prices rise?CPI-U all items, US city average, not seasonally adjusted | One bar, with a note | “Introduced rental equivalence concept in January 1983 for the CPI-U and in January 1985 for the CPI-W” | |
| How fast did consumer prices rise?CPI-U all items, US city average, not seasonally adjusted | 1999 | One bar, with a note | “Began using a geometric mean formula for most basic indexes” |
| Did poverty and hunger go up or down?Official poverty rate, people below the poverty line (old income questions, 1959-2013) | 1981 (Census footnote 19; report P60-133, page 5) | One bar, with a note | “The combined effect of the three modifications on the poverty population is quite small ... The total number of poor persons is 29.3 million under the current definition and 29.6 million under the new one; the poverty rate goes from 13.0 to 13.2 percent.” |
| Did poverty and hunger go up or down?Official poverty rate, people below the poverty line (redesigned questions, updated processing system, 2017-2025) | 2013 data (2014 survey) | Two parts, never joined | “The 2014 CPS ASEC utilized a probability split panel design to test a redesigned set of income questions.” |
| Did poverty and hunger go up or down?Official poverty rate, people below the poverty line (redesigned questions, updated processing system, 2017-2025) | 2017 data | Two parts, never joined | “Implementation of an updated CPS ASEC processing system.” |
| Did the homicide rate go up or down?Homicide death rate per 100,000 residents (crude), death certificates, CDC WONDER 1979-1998 (ICD-9) | 1999 | Two parts, never joined | “Each of these revisions produces breaks in the continuity of cause-of-death statistics because of changes in classification and in the rules for selecting an underlying cause of death.” |
| Did the homicide rate go up or down?Murder and nonnegligent manslaughter rate per 100,000 inhabitants, FBI national estimate (2019 edition, 2000-2019) | One bar, with a note | “the UCR Program retired the SRS and transitioned to a NIBRS-only data collection on January 1, 2021” | |
| How much did the federal government borrow?Federal surplus or deficit, % of GDP, OMB | 1992 (fiscal year; the Federal Credit Reform Act of 1990) | One bar, with a note | “Because it is impossible to convert the pre-1992 loans to a credit reform basis, the data are on a cash basis for pre-1992 loans and on a credit reform basis for loans made in 1992 and subsequent years.” |
| Did the uninsured rate go up or down?People under 65 with no health insurance, NHIS, 1997-2004 (before the 2004 Medicaid question) | 1997 (Table HINone notes) | Two parts, never joined | “Data before 1997 are not strictly comparable with data for later years due to the 1997 questionnaire redesign.” |
| Did the uninsured rate go up or down?People under 65 with no health insurance, NHIS, 2004-2018 (with the added Medicaid question) | 2004 (Table HINone footnote 2) | Two parts, never joined | “Beginning in quarter 3 of the 2004 NHIS, people under age 65 with no reported coverage are asked explicitly about Medicaid coverage.” |
| Did the uninsured rate go up or down?People under 65 with no health insurance, NHIS, 2019-2024 (after the 2019 questionnaire redesign) | 2019 (Table HINone notes) | Two parts, never joined | “In 2019, the NHIS questionnaire was redesigned and other changes were made to weighting and design methodology. Data for 2019 have not been fully evaluated for comparability with earlier years.” |
| Did the uninsured rate go up or down?People under 65 with no health insurance, NHIS, 2019-2024 (after the 2019 questionnaire redesign) | 2020 (interviews by telephone only from 19 March 2020) | One bar, with a note | “Though NHIS survey weights account for changes in respondent characteristics due to overall changes in the 2020 data collection, differences observed in estimates between 2020 and earlier time periods may still be impacted by these changes.” |
| How many people did the Border Patrol stop at the Mexico border each year?Border Patrol apprehensions at the Southwest border, Title 8, by fiscal year, FY1980-FY2019 (Border Patrol table, PDF) | 21 Mar 2020 to 11 May 2023 | One bar, with a note | “Title 42 expulsions began March 21, 2020, and ended on May 11, 2023.” |
Which months count as a recession?
We use the recession dates of the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), the group that dates US recessions. Every term gets the same row on every screen. It says when a recession happened, never why.
Term
Recessionfrom NBER
Reagan 11981–1985
16 months(Jul 1981 to Nov 1982)
Reagan 21985–1989
None
Bush (H.W.)1989–1993
8 months(Jul 1990 to Mar 1991)
Clinton 11993–1997
None
Clinton 21997–2001
None
Bush (W.) 12001–2005
8 months(Mar 2001 to Nov 2001)
Bush (W.) 22005–2009
13 monthsof 18 (Dec 2007 to Jun 2009)
Obama 12009–2013
5 monthsof 18 (Dec 2007 to Jun 2009)
Obama 22013–2017
None
Trump 12017–2021
2 months(Feb 2020 to Apr 2020)
Biden2021–2025
None
Trump 22025–2029
None
Each term’s months, with the recession months filled.
Each strip is one term, from its first month to its last. The filled part shows the months NBER counts as a recession. For the term still running, the strip is open after the latest month. Source: National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), Business Cycle Dating Committee.
How we counted
Recessions
The recession months follow the dates of the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), the group that dates US recessions. NBER counts a recession from the month after the economy’s high point (the peak) through the month of its low point (the trough). Each month counts for the term it falls in, so a recession that runs across two terms counts in both, each with its own months. Source: National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), Business Cycle Dating Committee.
Which lines do we put together?
Most lines are one agency’s series, as published. Two lines combine official series, and the downloads hold every input.
| Line | Made from | How |
|---|---|---|
World GDP growth without the United States, constant 2015 US$NY.GDP.MKTP.KD:WLD minus NY.GDP.MKTP.KD:USA | GDP, constant 2015 US$: World (World Bank WDI)GDP, constant 2015 US$: United States (World Bank WDI) | We subtract the United States from the world total for each year, then measure how much the rest grew. |
US export prices against import prices (export price index divided by import price index), annualA020RD / A021RD | Exports price index (implicit price deflator, chained 2017 = 100): United States (BEA)Imports price index (implicit price deflator, chained 2017 = 100): United States (BEA) | We divide the price index for exports by the price index for imports for each year. The line goes up when export prices rise faster than import prices. |
On the screen: What came from outside the US?
Whose data is it, and how may you use it?
The numbers belong to the agencies that publish them. Most are works of the US government, which US law places in the public domain. If you use a number from this site, name the agency it comes from.
| Agency | Terms of use | How to credit it |
|---|---|---|
| CDC WONDER (death records from the National Center for Health Statistics) | Public domain, with CDC WONDER’s data use rules | Name CDC WONDER and the National Center for Health Statistics. Use the data for statistics only, and never publish a count of nine deaths or fewer, or a rate built on one. The site shows national totals only. |
| National Center for Health Statistics (CDC) | Public domain | Name the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics as the source. |
| USDA Economic Research Service | Public domain, as a work of the US government | Name the USDA Economic Research Service as the source. |
| US Census Bureau | Public domain, as a work of the US government | Name the US Census Bureau as the source. |
| US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) | Public domain | Name the Bureau of Labor Statistics as the source, and don’t use its emblem. |
| US Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) | Public domain | Name the Bureau of Economic Analysis as the source. |
| Congressional Budget Office (CBO) | Public domain | Name the Congressional Budget Office as the source. |
| Office of Management and Budget (OMB) | Public domain, as a work of the US government | Cite the Office of Management and Budget’s Historical Tables. |
| US Department of the Treasury, Fiscal Data | Free to use without restriction | Cite the Treasury’s Fiscal Data service. |
| Federal Reserve Board | Public domain | Name the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System as the source. |
| US Energy Information Administration (EIA) | Public domain | Name the Energy Information Administration as the source. |
| US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) | Public domain | Name US Customs and Border Protection as the source. |
| Office of Homeland Security Statistics (DHS) | Public domain, as a work of the US government | Name the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Homeland Security Statistics as the source. |
| FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program | Public domain, as a work of the US government | Name the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program as the source. |
| World Bank | Creative Commons Attribution licence (CC BY) | Name the World Bank as the source. Its figures are as published; from them we compute each term’s change, the middle value of the six other G7 countries, and world growth without the United States. |
| National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) | Free to copy, with credit | Credit NBER’s Business Cycle Dating Committee for the recession dates. |
| US laws, from govinfo (US Government Publishing Office) | Public domain, as a work of the US government | Cite the law itself, as published on govinfo. |
We take no data directly from FRED, the OECD, the IMF or the Pew Research Center. The site shows no seal, emblem or agency logo.
Download the data
Here is every series on the site, as we downloaded it from the agency. Each file gives the address it came from, the date we downloaded it and the state of each value.
Every series (CSV files, zipped)series-csv.zip
A short note in the zip explains each column. When you use a series, name its agency. Rows that failed our checks aren’t in these files.
Every series, one file each
Did unemployment go up or down?
| Series | Agency | Measured since | How it was checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment rate (U-3, official headline), ages 16 and over, seasonally adjustedCSV | US Bureau of Labor Statistics (Current Population Survey) | 1948 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
| Labor force participation rate, ages 16 and over, seasonally adjustedCSV | US Bureau of Labor Statistics (Current Population Survey) | 1948 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
| Employment-population ratio, ages 25 to 54, seasonally adjustedCSV | US Bureau of Labor Statistics (Current Population Survey) | 1948 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
| Median usual weekly earnings, full-time wage and salary workers, in 1982-84 dollars, not seasonally adjustedCSV | US Bureau of Labor Statistics (Current Population Survey, usual weekly earnings) | 1979 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
| Real median household income, all households (Census H-5): old income questions, to 2013CSV | US Census Bureau (CPS ASEC, Historical Income Table H-5) | 1975 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
| Real median household income, all households (Census H-5): redesigned income questions, 2013 to 2017CSV | US Census Bureau (CPS ASEC, Historical Income Table H-5) | 2013 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
| Real median household income, all households (Census H-5): updated data processing, 2017 onCSV | US Census Bureau (CPS ASEC, Historical Income Table H-5) | 2017 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
| Average hourly earnings, production and nonsupervisory employees, in 1982-84 dollars, seasonally adjusted (payroll survey)CSV | US Bureau of Labor Statistics (Current Employment Statistics) | 1964 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
| All employees, total nonfarm payroll jobs, seasonally adjusted (payroll survey)CSV | US Bureau of Labor Statistics (Current Employment Statistics) | 1939 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
| Median usual weekly earnings, full-time wage and salary workers, in 1982-84 dollars, seasonally adjustedCSV | US Bureau of Labor Statistics (Current Population Survey, usual weekly earnings) | 1979 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
How fast did grocery prices rise?
| Series | Agency | Measured since | How it was checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPI-U food at home (groceries), US city average, not seasonally adjustedCSV | US Bureau of Labor Statistics (CPI-U) | 1947 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
| CPI-U food away from home (restaurants and canteens), not seasonally adjustedCSV | US Bureau of Labor Statistics (CPI-U) | 1953 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
| CPI-U all items, US city average, not seasonally adjustedCSV | US Bureau of Labor Statistics (CPI-U) | 1913 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
| CPI-U food (at home and away), US city average, not seasonally adjustedCSV | US Bureau of Labor Statistics (CPI-U) | 1913 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
| Average price, eggs, grade A large, per dozen (US city average)CSV | US Bureau of Labor Statistics (CPI average prices) | 1980 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
| Average price, white bread, per pound (US city average)CSV | US Bureau of Labor Statistics (CPI average prices) | 1980 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
| Average price, whole milk, per gallon (US city average)CSV | US Bureau of Labor Statistics (CPI average prices) | 1995 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
| Average price, ground beef 100% beef, per pound (US city average)CSV | US Bureau of Labor Statistics (CPI average prices) | 1984 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
| World Bank commodity price index, food, nominal US dollars (world food prices, outside context)CSV | World Bank, Commodity Price Data (the Pink Sheet), annual | 1960 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
Did poverty and hunger go up or down?
| Series | Agency | Measured since | How it was checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Official poverty rate, people below the poverty line (old income questions, 1959-2013)CSV | US Census Bureau, Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement (CPS ASEC) | 1959 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
| Official poverty rate, people below the poverty line (redesigned income questions, previous processing system, 2013-2017)CSV | US Census Bureau, Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement (CPS ASEC) | 2013 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
| Official poverty rate, people below the poverty line (redesigned questions, updated processing system, 2017-2025)CSV | US Census Bureau, Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement (CPS ASEC) | 2017 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
| Households that were food insecure at some time during the year (USDA ERS)CSV | USDA Economic Research Service (data from the Census Bureau's Current Population Survey Food Security Supplement) | 2001 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
| Households with very low food security at some time during the year (USDA ERS)CSV | USDA Economic Research Service (data from the Census Bureau's Current Population Survey Food Security Supplement) | 2001 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
| Supplemental Poverty Measure rate, 2009-2013 (old income questions, previous processing, original 2011 method)CSV | US Census Bureau with the Bureau of Labor Statistics (Supplemental Poverty Measure, from the CPS ASEC) | 2009 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
| Supplemental Poverty Measure rate, 2013-2017 (redesigned income questions, previous processing, original 2011 method)CSV | US Census Bureau with the Bureau of Labor Statistics (Supplemental Poverty Measure, from the CPS ASEC) | 2013 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
| Supplemental Poverty Measure rate, 2017-2019 (updated processing, original 2011 method)CSV | US Census Bureau with the Bureau of Labor Statistics (Supplemental Poverty Measure, from the CPS ASEC) | 2017 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
| Supplemental Poverty Measure rate, 2019-2025 (2021 method)CSV | US Census Bureau with the Bureau of Labor Statistics (Supplemental Poverty Measure, from the CPS ASEC) | 2019 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
Did the homicide rate go up or down?
| Series | Agency | Measured since | How it was checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homicide death rate per 100,000 residents (crude), death certificates, CDC WONDER 1979-1998 (ICD-9)CSV | CDC/NCHS National Vital Statistics System, served by CDC WONDER (Compressed Mortality, 1979-1998, ICD-9 database D16) | 1979 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
| Homicide death rate per 100,000 residents (crude), death certificates, CDC WONDER 1999-2020CSV | CDC/NCHS National Vital Statistics System, served by CDC WONDER (Underlying Cause of Death, 1999-2020, bridged-race database D76) | 1999 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
| Homicide death rate per 100,000 residents (crude), death certificates, CDC WONDER 2018-2024CSV | CDC/NCHS National Vital Statistics System, served by CDC WONDER (Underlying Cause of Death, 2018-2024, single race, database D158) | 2018 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
| Murder and nonnegligent manslaughter rate per 100,000 inhabitants, FBI national estimate (2010 edition, 1991-1999)CSV | FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Crime in the United States, Table 1 | 1991 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
| Murder and nonnegligent manslaughter rate per 100,000 inhabitants, FBI national estimate (2019 edition, 2000-2019)CSV | FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Crime in the United States, Table 1 | 2000 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
| Murder and nonnegligent manslaughter rate per 100,000 inhabitants, FBI national estimate (2025 summary, 2006-2025)CSV | FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program, UCR Summary of Reported Crimes in the Nation, 2025 | 2006 | Copied from a table in a document. One program found the exact line in our saved copy, and a second program read the same file on its own and found the same numbers. |
Did the US grow faster than other G7 countries?
| Series | Agency | Measured since | How it was checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Real GDP per person, United States (BEA, chained 2017 dollars), annualCSV | US Bureau of Economic Analysis (NIPA Table 7.1 line 10) | 1929 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
| GDP per capita, constant 2015 US$: United States (World Bank WDI)CSV | World Bank, World Development Indicators (NY.GDP.PCAP.KD); sources include OECD national accounts | 1979 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
| GDP per capita growth, annual %: United States (World Bank WDI, for the cross-check with BEA)CSV | World Bank, World Development Indicators (NY.GDP.PCAP.KD.ZG) | 1979 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
| Real GDP per person, United States (BEA, chained 2017 dollars), quarterly, seasonally adjusted at annual rates (a level)CSV | US Bureau of Economic Analysis (NIPA Table 7.1 line 10, quarterly) | 1947 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
What came from outside the US?
| Series | Agency | Measured since | How it was checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| World GDP growth without the United States, constant 2015 US$CSV | Computed by us from World Bank, World Development Indicators (NY.GDP.MKTP.KD, WLD and USA) | 1980 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
| US export prices against import prices (export price index divided by import price index), annualCSV | Computed by us from US Bureau of Economic Analysis NIPA Table 1.1.9 (A020RD / A021RD) | 1929 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
| World Bank commodity price index, energy, real 2010 US dollars (Pink Sheet), annualCSV | World Bank, Commodity Price Data (the Pink Sheet), annual | 1960 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
| World Bank commodity price index, non-energy, real 2010 US dollars (Pink Sheet), annualCSV | World Bank, Commodity Price Data (the Pink Sheet), annual | 1960 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
| Crude oil, average of Brent, Dubai and WTI, nominal US dollars per barrel (World Bank Pink Sheet), annualCSV | World Bank, Commodity Price Data (the Pink Sheet), annual | 1960 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
| US net imports of crude oil and petroleum products (EIA), annualCSV | US Energy Information Administration (series MTTNTUS2) | 1973 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
| Federal funds effective rate, monthly average, Federal Reserve (context only)CSV | Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Statistical Release H.15 (Data Download Program) | 1954 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
| 10-year U.S. Treasury yield, constant maturity, monthly average, Federal Reserve (context only)CSV | Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Statistical Release H.15 (Data Download Program) | 1953 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
| Exports price index (implicit price deflator, chained 2017 = 100): United States (BEA)CSV | US Bureau of Economic Analysis (NIPA Table 1.1.9) | 1929 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
| Imports price index (implicit price deflator, chained 2017 = 100): United States (BEA)CSV | US Bureau of Economic Analysis (NIPA Table 1.1.9) | 1929 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
| GDP, constant 2015 US$: World (World Bank WDI)CSV | World Bank, World Development Indicators (NY.GDP.MKTP.KD) | 1979 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
| GDP, constant 2015 US$: United States (World Bank WDI)CSV | World Bank, World Development Indicators (NY.GDP.MKTP.KD) | 1979 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
How much did the federal government borrow?
| Series | Agency | Measured since | How it was checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal surplus or deficit, % of GDP, OMBCSV | Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Historical Tables | 1930 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
| Federal debt held by the public, end of fiscal year, % of GDP, OMBCSV | Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Historical Tables | 1940 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
| Net interest as a share of federal receipts, OMB (computed)CSV | Computed by the engine from omb_net_interest_usd and omb_receipts_usd (OMB Historical Tables 3.1 and 1.1) | 1940 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
| Federal surplus or deficit (-), millions of dollars, OMBCSV | Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Historical Tables | 1930 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
| Federal receipts (revenue), millions of dollars, OMBCSV | Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Historical Tables | 1901 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
| Federal debt held by the public, end of fiscal year, millions of dollars, OMBCSV | Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Historical Tables | 1940 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
| Net interest outlays, millions of dollars, OMBCSV | Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Historical Tables | 1940 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
| Federal deficit, % of GDP, CBO (how others count it)CSV | Congressional Budget Office (CBO), Historical Budget Data | 1962 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
| Federal debt held by the public, % of GDP, CBO (how others count it)CSV | Congressional Budget Office (CBO), Historical Budget Data | 1962 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
| Net interest as a share of federal revenues, CBO (computed, how others count it)CSV | Computed by the engine from cbo_net_interest_usd and cbo_revenues_usd (CBO Historical Budget Data) | 1962 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
| Federal deficit, billions of dollars, CBO (how others count it)CSV | Congressional Budget Office (CBO), Historical Budget Data | 1962 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
| Federal revenues, billions of dollars, CBO (how others count it)CSV | Congressional Budget Office (CBO), Historical Budget Data | 1962 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
| Federal debt held by the public, billions of dollars, CBO (how others count it)CSV | Congressional Budget Office (CBO), Historical Budget Data | 1962 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
| Net interest outlays, billions of dollars, CBO (how others count it)CSV | Congressional Budget Office (CBO), Historical Budget Data | 1962 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
| Debt held by the public, Treasury Debt to the Penny, last day of each fiscal yearCSV | U.S. Department of the Treasury, Bureau of the Fiscal Service, Fiscal Data (Debt to the Penny) | 1997 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
| Total public debt outstanding, Treasury Debt to the Penny, last day of each fiscal yearCSV | U.S. Department of the Treasury, Bureau of the Fiscal Service, Fiscal Data (Debt to the Penny) | 1993 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
Did the uninsured rate go up or down?
| Series | Agency | Measured since | How it was checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| People under 65 with no health insurance, NHIS, 1984-1995 (before the 1997 questionnaire redesign)CSV | CDC/NCHS, National Health Interview Survey (Health, United States 2020-2021, Table HINone) | 1984 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
| People under 65 with no health insurance, NHIS, 1997-2004 (before the 2004 Medicaid question)CSV | CDC/NCHS, National Health Interview Survey (Health, United States 2020-2021, Table HINone) | 1997 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
| People under 65 with no health insurance, NHIS, 2004-2018 (with the added Medicaid question)CSV | CDC/NCHS, National Health Interview Survey (Health, United States 2020-2021, Table HINone) | 2004 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
| People under 65 with no health insurance, NHIS, 2019-2024 (after the 2019 questionnaire redesign)CSV | CDC/NCHS, National Health Interview Survey (Long-term Trends in Health Insurance Coverage, 1968-2024, Table 1) | 2019 | Copied from a table in a document. One program found the exact line in our saved copy, and a second program read the same file on its own and found the same numbers. |
| People with no health insurance for the whole year, Census CPS ASEC, 1987-1999 (original series, before the 1999 verification question)CSV | US Census Bureau, Current Population Survey ASEC (health insurance historical tables) | 1987 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
| People with no health insurance for the whole year, Census CPS ASEC, 1999-2012 (with the verification question; revised 2011 series)CSV | US Census Bureau, Current Population Survey ASEC (health insurance historical tables) | 1999 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
| People with no health insurance for the whole year, Census CPS ASEC, 2013-2016 (annual HI01 tables, redesigned questionnaire, before the 2018 processing update)CSV | US Census Bureau, Current Population Survey ASEC (health insurance historical tables) | 2013 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
| People with no health insurance for the whole year, Census CPS ASEC, 2017-2025 (HHI series, updated processing and redesigned questionnaire)CSV | US Census Bureau, Current Population Survey ASEC (health insurance historical tables) | 2017 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
| People with no health insurance, Census American Community Survey (ACS), 2008-2024 (civilian noninstitutionalized population; no 2020 value)CSV | US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates (health insurance historical tables, HIC-4_ACS) | 2008 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
How many people did the Border Patrol stop at the Mexico border each year?
| Series | Agency | Measured since | How it was checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Border Patrol apprehensions at the Southwest border, Title 8, by fiscal year, FY1980-FY2019 (Border Patrol table, PDF)CSV | US Customs and Border Protection, United States Border Patrol, Southwest Border Sectors | 1980 | Copied from a table in a document. One program found the exact line in our saved copy, and a second program read the same file on its own and found the same numbers. |
| Border Patrol apprehensions at the Southwest border, Title 8, by fiscal year, FY2019-FY2022 (CBP file FY19-FY22)CSV | US Customs and Border Protection, Southwest Land Border Encounters (Border Patrol) | 2019 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
| Border Patrol apprehensions at the Southwest border, Title 8, by fiscal year, FY2022-FY2025 (CBP file FY22-FY25)CSV | US Customs and Border Protection, Southwest Land Border Encounters (Border Patrol) | 2022 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
| Border Patrol encounters at the Southwest border, Title 8 apprehensions and Title 42 expulsions together, by fiscal year, FY2020-FY2023 (CBP file FY20-FY23)CSV | US Customs and Border Protection, Southwest Land Border Encounters (Border Patrol) | 2020 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
| People granted lawful permanent residence ('green cards'), by fiscal yearCSV | DHS Office of Homeland Security Statistics (INS before 2003), Yearbook of Immigration Statistics | 1820 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
| People naturalized as US citizens, by fiscal yearCSV | DHS Office of Homeland Security Statistics (INS before 2003), Yearbook of Immigration Statistics | 1907 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
| Removals (people sent out of the US under a formal removal order), DHS, by fiscal yearCSV | DHS Office of Homeland Security Statistics (INS before 2003), Yearbook of Immigration Statistics | 1892 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
| Enforcement returns (people sent out without a removal order), DHS, by fiscal yearCSV | DHS Office of Homeland Security Statistics (INS before 2003), Yearbook of Immigration Statistics | 1927 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
| People living in the US without legal status, DHS estimate, series 'Based on the 2000 Census (2000, 2005–2010)'CSV | DHS Office of Homeland Security Statistics (OHSS), Estimates of the Unauthorized Immigrant Population Residing in the United States: January 2018-January 2022 | 2000 | Copied from a table in a document. One program found the exact line in our saved copy, and a second program read the same file on its own and found the same numbers. |
| People living in the US without legal status, DHS estimate, series 'Based on the 2010 Census (2010–2015)'CSV | DHS Office of Homeland Security Statistics (OHSS), Estimates of the Unauthorized Immigrant Population Residing in the United States: January 2018-January 2022 | 2010 | Copied from a table in a document. One program found the exact line in our saved copy, and a second program read the same file on its own and found the same numbers. |
| People living in the US without legal status, DHS estimate, series 'Method Update (2015–2018)'CSV | DHS Office of Homeland Security Statistics (OHSS), Estimates of the Unauthorized Immigrant Population Residing in the United States: January 2018-January 2022 | 2015 | Copied from a table in a document. One program found the exact line in our saved copy, and a second program read the same file on its own and found the same numbers. |
| People living in the US without legal status, DHS estimate, series 'Method Update (2018–2020)'CSV | DHS Office of Homeland Security Statistics (OHSS), Estimates of the Unauthorized Immigrant Population Residing in the United States: January 2018-January 2022 | 2018 | Copied from a table in a document. One program found the exact line in our saved copy, and a second program read the same file on its own and found the same numbers. |
| People living in the US without legal status, DHS estimate, series 'Based on the 2020 Census (2022)'CSV | DHS Office of Homeland Security Statistics (OHSS), Estimates of the Unauthorized Immigrant Population Residing in the United States: January 2018-January 2022 | 2022 | Copied from a table in a document. One program found the exact line in our saved copy, and a second program read the same file on its own and found the same numbers. |
Every number, term by term
| Series | Agency | Measured since | How it was checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPI-U food at home (groceries), US city average, seasonally adjustedCSV | US Bureau of Labor Statistics (CPI-U) | 1952 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
| CPI-U food away from home (restaurants and canteens), seasonally adjustedCSV | US Bureau of Labor Statistics (CPI-U) | 1953 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
| Infant mortality rate, all races (NCHS)CSV | CDC/NCHS, Health, United States 2020-2021 (table from the National Vital Statistics System) | 1950 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
| Life expectancy at birth, both sexes, all races (NCHS)CSV | CDC/NCHS, Health, United States 2020-2021 (table from the National Vital Statistics System) | 1900 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
| Population, midperiod, the one BEA divides by (NIPA Table 7.1 line 18), thousands of personsCSV | U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), National Income and Product Accounts | 1929 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
| Resident population of the United States, July 1, Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 (latest; denominator for rates per 100,000)CSV | U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program | 2020 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
| Resident population of the United States, July 1, Census Bureau, intercensal estimates 2000-2009CSV | U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program | 2000 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
| Resident population of the United States, July 1, Census Bureau, Vintage 2020 (2010-2019)CSV | U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program | 2010 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
| Population, total, World Bank (UN-based), United States, CROSS-CHECK ONLYCSV | World Bank WDI (SP.POP.TOTL) | 1979 | A program downloaded it from the agency and checked its title against the agency’s own label. |
What isn’t on the screens?
Some topics people ask about aren’t on the screens. Either no fair count of them exists for every term, or the count moves too slowly for four years to show much.
- Corruption
- The only nationwide count is the number of federal corruption convictions. It counts the cases federal prosecutors bring and win, not how much corruption there was, in any term.
- Life expectancy and infant mortality
- They change slowly, over decades, so a four-year change says little about the four years. The health screen shows the share of people without health insurance instead. You can still find both in the explorer.
Corrections and privacy
Published by Raian Pollock. No party, no funding.
If a number doesn’t match its source, please tell us. We’ll fix the data file and rebuild the site, which runs every check again. Write to [email protected].
Privacy
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The National Bureau of Economic Research, a private research group. Its committee of economists sets the month each US recession starts and ends.The federal budget year, also called the fiscal year. It runs from October to September and takes the name of the year in which it ends.A fall in economic activity that spreads across the economy and lasts more than a few months. NBER sets the month each one starts and ends.