How is the US economy really doing under President Trump?

President Donald Trump has been boasting about the performance of the US economy ahead of the midterm congressional elections, claiming he has boosted incomes, reduced inflation and created jobs.

Trump has repeatedly said: "We have the hottest country anywhere in the world."

While the overall US economy is faring better than many expected after Trump launched his sweeping "Liberation Day" tariffs in 2025, there's evidence those import taxes and the impact of the US-Israel war with Iran have pushed up inflation, with the harmful effects felt by most American households.

The US economy is also being helped by an AI investment boom, and could falter if that spending were to dry up.

So how does all this feel for the average American? BBC Verify has looked at whether the evidence supports the president's claims.

The overall US economy is growing at a respectable clip by the country's recent historic standards.

The latest data shows US GDP, external - which is how economists measure the size of the US economy - currently expanding at an annualised rate of 2.2%.

And it has increased by around 3.2% overall since the end of 2024, just before Trump took office for his second term.

Source: BBC News World RSS (Open Press / Full Text)