# Economy, crime and health under Joe Biden, 2021–2025

Source page: https://govargus.com/presidents/biden

Democratic · Jan 20, 2021 – Jan 20, 2025

Each indicator shows how it changed during the term next to the four years before it. A term's first year mostly reflects the previous administration's policies, and Congress, the Federal Reserve and the world economy move these numbers too. Govargus describes; it does not score presidents.

## Economy

| Indicator | During term | 4 years before |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unemployment rate | 6.7% → 4.1% (−0.65 pts/yr) | +0.50 pts/yr |
| Nonfarm payroll jobs | 142.5 million jobs → 158.3 million jobs (+3.94 million jobs/yr) | −0.71 million jobs/yr |
| Real GDP growth | avg 3.1% | avg 2.6% |
| Inflation (CPI, year over year) | avg 5.0% | avg 1.9% |
| Labor force participation | 61.5% → 62.5% (+0.25 pts/yr) | −0.30 pts/yr |

## Households

| Indicator | During term | 4 years before |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Real median weekly earnings (1982–84 $) | $376 → $374 (−$1/yr) | +$7/yr |
| Gasoline price (regular, per gallon) | $2.17 → $3.15 (+$0.24/yr) | −$0.02/yr |
| Egg prices (grade A large, per dozen) | $1.48 → $4.15 (+$0.67/yr) | +$0.02/yr |
| 30-year mortgage rate | 2.68% → 6.72% (+1.01 pts/yr) | −0.38 pts/yr |
| Real median household income | $83,590 → $85,210 (+$405/yr) | +$1,590/yr |
| Poverty rate | 11.9% → 12.1% (+0.05 pts/yr) | −0.52 pts/yr |

## Federal budget

| Indicator | During term | 4 years before |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Federal surplus or deficit (% of GDP) | avg −5.8% | avg −7.6% |
| Federal debt (% of GDP) | 125.6% → 121.4% (−1.05 pts/yr) | +5.24 pts/yr |
| National debt (dollars) | $27.75 trillion → $36.22 trillion (+$2.12 trillion/yr) | +$1.94 trillion/yr |

## Public safety

| Indicator | During term | 4 years before |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Violent crime rate | 399 per 100k → 363 per 100k (−9 per 100k/yr) | 0 per 100k/yr |
| Property crime rate | 1,958 per 100k → 1,761 per 100k (−49 per 100k/yr) | −123 per 100k/yr |
| Murder rate | 6.5 per 100k → 5.1 per 100k (−0.37 per 100k/yr) | +0.29 per 100k/yr |
| Firearm death rate | 13.6 per 100k → 12.8 per 100k (−0.20 per 100k/yr) | +0.45 per 100k/yr |

## Health

| Indicator | During term | 4 years before |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Life expectancy at birth | 77.0 years → 78.9 years (+0.48 years/yr) | −0.39 years/yr |
| Drug overdose death rate | 28.3 per 100k → 23.1 per 100k (−1.30 per 100k/yr) | +2.13 per 100k/yr |
| Uninsured rate | 9.2% → 8.2% (−0.20 pts/yr) | +0.20 pts/yr |

## Policy record

- Substantive public laws signed: 436; plus 200 naming or commemorative
- Executive orders signed: 162

## Tracked events during the term

- Mar 11, 2021, law: American Rescue Plan. About $1.9 trillion in relief, including a temporarily expanded child tax credit and larger ACA premium subsidies.
- Nov 15, 2021, law: Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. About $1.2 trillion for roads, bridges, broadband, water and transit.
- Mar 16, 2022, federal reserve: Fed begins raising rates. First of eleven rate hikes over 2022–23 to fight post-pandemic inflation.
- Jun 25, 2022, law: Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. Enhanced background checks for buyers under 21, funding for state red-flag laws and mental health services.
- Aug 16, 2022, law: Inflation Reduction Act. Clean-energy tax credits, Medicare drug-price negotiation and a corporate minimum tax.