what percent of our economy is consumer spending
Consumer spending makes up more than 70 percent of the economy, and it usually drives growth during economic recoveries.â ââConsumers Give Boost to Economy,â New York Times, May 1. Every quarter, when the government releases its latest GDP figures, we hear the familiar refrain: âWhat the consumer does is vital for economic growth.â âIf the consumer starts saving and stops spending, weâre in big trouble.â âConsumer spending accounts for 70 percent of the economy.â The latter âfactâ crops up regularly in the news reports from the Associated Press, the Wall Street Journal, and the New York Times. The truth is that consumer spending is not the mainstay of the U. S. economy. Investment is. Business spending on capital goods, new technology, entrepreneurship, and productivity is more significant than consumer spending in sustaining the economy and a higher standard of living.