Khaberni - The growth of the US economy slowed more than expected in the final months of 2025, according to government estimates released on Friday, marking the end of the first year of Donald Trump's return to power.
The world's largest economic power recorded an annual growth rate from October to December last year of 1.4%, according to the Commerce Department, a rate much lower than the 2.5% analysts had predicted for the last quarter.
Thus, the growth rate for the entire year of 2025 was 2.2 percent, compared with 2.8 percent recorded in the previous year.
The Republican president quickly blamed the slowdown in growth on the prolonged government shutdown last year, attributing responsibility to the Democratic Congressmen in a post on social media prior to the data release.
On his platform "Truth Social" he said, "The shutdown caused by the Democrats cost the United States at least two points in its Gross Domestic Product."
He also placed responsibility on the Federal Reserve, criticizing its outgoing chairman Jerome Powell and calling for "lower interest rates."
The Commerce Department said on Friday that the slowdown in growth in the fourth quarter "reflects a decrease in government spending and exports and a decline in consumer spending."
The growth rate in the fourth quarter represents a slowdown from the 4.4 percent rate recorded between July and September.
The report noted that the economy overall experienced a boost thanks to consumer spending and investment.
The US economy grew at a steady pace in recent months, driven by consumer spending as families continued to spend despite the impact of high inflation and a declining job market.
However, many Americans, especially those with low and middle incomes, have become more cautious in their spending.
A separate government report released on Friday showed that the Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) price index, which the Federal Reserve largely relies on to measure inflation, rose slightly more than analysts had expected.
It rose by 2.9% compared with the previous year in December, a rate higher than the 2.8% forecasted by economists and the rate recorded in November.
