Chart Pack: Economic Outlook
Last Updated September 27, 2024
America’s fiscal health and economic strength are closely linked. Putting our nation on a sustainable fiscal path creates a positive environment for economic growth. With a strong fiscal foundation, the nation will have increased access to capital, more resources for future public and private investments, improved consumer and business confidence, and a stronger safety net.
However, if we fail to act, the opposite is also true. If our long-term fiscal challenges remain unaddressed, our economic environment weakens as confidence suffers, access to capital is reduced, interest costs crowd out key investments in our future and the conditions for growth deteriorate — all harming the prospects for the next generation.
Below is a selection of charts providing an overview of the U.S. economic outlook.
Attribution Policy: If you would like to use any of these charts, please credit the "Peter G. Peterson Foundation" and provide the pgpf.org website URL and hyperlink. If you would like to include one of our charts in a commercial product, please email copyright@pgpf.org.
Further Reading
The Fed Reduced Short-Term Rates, but Interest Costs Remain High
Higher short- and long-term Treasury rates mean that the federal government’s borrowing costs will also rise.
What is Inflation and Why Does it Matter?
Here’s an overview of inflation, why it matters, and how it’s managed.
The National Debt Can Crowd Out Investments in the Economy — Here’s How
Large amounts of federal debt could “crowd out” investments by the private sector, making the economy less productive and stunting wage growth.