GDP Growth Rates Under U.S. Presidents

Democrats have occupied the White House in 27 of the 63 years since 1948. Average GDP growth in the country over those 26 years has been 4.01%. 

Republicans have occupied the White House in 36 of the 62 years since 1948. Average GDP growth over those 36 years has been 2.75%. 

Here are the GDP growth rates for each of the U.S. presidents since 1948.  What is particularly noteworthy is that current President Barack Obama in three years already has a larger growth rate than either Bush, even though the Great Recession hit before the younger Bush left office and affected the numbers in the early months of Obama's presidency more than in the Bush presidency.  So in effect, Obama absorbed the mess left behind and still shows better GDP numbers than George W. Bush did in eight years.  Very telling.

1948-1952 (Harry S. Truman, Democrat), +4.82%
1953-1960 (Dwight D. Eisenhower, Republican), +3%
1961-1964 (John F. Kennedy / Lyndon B. Johnson, Democrat), +4.65%
1965-1968 (Lyndon B. Johnson, Democrat), +5.05% 
1969-1972 (Richard Nixon, Republican), +3%
1973-1976 (Richard Nixon / Gerald Ford, Republican), +2.6% 
1977-1980 (Jimmy Carter, Democrat), +3.25% 
1981-1988 (Ronald Reagan, Republican), 3.4%
1989-1992 (George H. W. Bush, Republican), 2.17% 
1993-2000 (Bill Clinton, Democrat), 3.88% 
2001-2008 (George W. Bush, Republican), +2.09% 
2009 (Barack Obama, Democrat), +2.35%