US Economy Grows 3.4% in Third Quarter, Exceeding Forecasts
US real GDP expanded 3.4% in the third quarter of 2026, beating the economists' consensus forecast of 3.1% and accelerating from 2.2% growth in the second quarter, the Commerce Department said.
The US economy grew faster than expected in the third quarter of 2026, with real gross domestic product expanding 3.4%, according to figures released Thursday by the Commerce Department. That compared with growth of 2.2% in the second quarter, an acceleration of 1.2 percentage points. Economists had forecast a gain of 3.1%, meaning the actual result came in 0.3 percentage points above consensus expectations.
The Commerce Department credited three main drivers for the expansion: increased investment, stronger consumer spending, and higher government expenditure. All three contributed to the overall rise in real GDP, which measures the value of goods and services produced in the economy after adjusting for price changes. However, a decline in exports partially offset those gains, reducing some of the positive contribution from domestic spending and investment.
Despite the drag from weaker exports, the overall result represented a clear acceleration from the prior quarter and surpassed what analysts had anticipated. The data provide an updated picture of US economic activity during the July-to-September period and will be considered by investors and policymakers assessing the current state of the economy.
