Democracy Dies in Darkness

10 charts that show where the economy is heading

One year into President Trump’s term, AI spending is up, gas prices are down and inflation is complicated.

9 min
(Illustration by Anna Lefkowitz/The Washington Post; iStock; Adobe Stock)
9 min
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Despite a series of road bumps, the 2025 economy proved surprisingly steady.

Americans kept spending and businesses kept investing, especially in artificial intelligence. Other bright spots for the economy included gas prices, which hovered close to $3 a gallon; an unemployment rate that stayed close to 4 percent; and Americans saving about 5 percent of their paychecks each month.

What readers are saying

The comments reflect skepticism about the reported economic growth under the Trump administration, with many expressing distrust in government-released statistics. Concerns are raised about the impact of artificial intelligence on job creation, with AI investments seen as... Show more
This summary is AI-generated. AI can make mistakes and this summary is not a replacement for reading the comments.
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Abha Bhattarai is the economics correspondent for The Washington Post. She previously covered retail for the publication.@abhabhattarai
By
Rachel Lerman covers the economy and technology for The Washington Post. She focuses on reporting visually driven stories.@rachelerman
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