Note: For some of the charts, users of Firefox and other non-Internet Explorer web browsers might have to use the “open link target in IE” option or equivalent. I will work to correct this difficulty in the next revision. The “summary pdf” files that contains all subsection charts, located at the end of each sub-section, should operate properly for all browsers.

The following graphs reflect final 2012 inflation data.  All are in pdf format.  All graphs in this set have been assembled into a single pdf file, to facilitate saving and printing. 

  1. National government budget outlays in billions of constant (2012) dollars and as a percent of economy, 1952 to 2012 (showing "fingers and toes sized numbers" as well as billions and trillions)
  2. Total national government spend (national, state, and local) 1948 to 2011, in percent of economy
  3. US price levels 1774 to 2012, with 2012 = 100
  4. US price levels 1774 to 2012 in constant 2012 dollars, logarithmic scale to highlight rate of change
  5. US price levels 1950 to 2012, with 2012 = 100
  6. Yearly inflation or deflation rate (CPI-U) 1774 to 2012, in percent (data prior to 1913 are economic historian estimates)
  7. Yearly inflation or deflation rate (CPI-U) 1915 to 2012, in percent
  8. US estimated gross domestic product (GDP) and national government revenues in inflation-adjusted (2012) dollars and percent of GDP, 1792-2012
  9. US estimated gross domestic product (GDP) in current and inflation-adjusted dollars and GDP per capita in constant (2012) dollars, 1792 to 2012
  10. Trends in national debt held by the public 1948 to 2012, in current and constant (2012) dollars and as percent of economy
  11. Change in inflation-adjusted national debt held by the public by presidential term, 1948 to 2012, in percent
  12. Minimum wage in current and constant (2012) dollars, 1938 through estimated 2013, showing nominal minimum wage required to equal the peak (1968) inflation-adjusted minimum wage
  13. National defense outlays in billions of current and constant (2012) dollars, 1940 to 2012
  14. Change in inflation-adjusted national defense spending by presidential term, 1948 to 2012, in percent
  15. Summary file that contains all the previous files, in the order shown, plus an explanatory first page.

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Regarding the size of the US economy, see also Economic History Net