USA: Capital investment, percent of GDP

The latest value from 2024 is 21.74 percent, an increase from 21.54 percent in 2023. In comparison, the world average is 22.32 percent, based on data from 129 countries. Historically, the average for the USA from 1960 to 2024 is 22.19 percent. The minimum value, 17.77 percent, was reached in 2009 while the maximum of 25.11 percent was recorded in 1979. See the global rankings or world map for that indicator or use the country comparator to compare trends over time.

The capital investment in the USA and other countries is calculated as the purchases of new plant and equipment by firms, as percent of GDP. A high number is good for long-term economic growth as current investment leads to greater future production.

Definition: Gross capital formation includes acquisitions less disposals of produced assets for purposes of fixed capital formation, inventories or valuables. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period.