U.S. recessions average 17 months in duration

Recessions are periods of negative economic growth that can last several months or years. They consist of four phases: expansion, maturity, aging, and recession. An economy is typically in recession after two consecutive quarters of negative growth. In the U.S., recessions have varied in length, averaging 17 months. The longest recession lasted 65 months from 1873 to 1879, while the shortest was during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, lasting just two months. Recent fears of a recession have resurfaced due to trade policies under former President Donald Trump, which have led to retaliatory tariffs and market selloffs.