Housing’s share of the GDP falls below 16%
According to the most recent GDP estimates from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, Q1 of 2026 recorded housing’s share of the economy at 15.9%. This is reportedly the lowest share since 2019 and it is down .6% from a year ago. Residential Fixed Investment (RFI) was 3.7% of the economy, recording a $1.2 trillion seasonally adjusted annual pace. While the single-family RFI fell 8.2%, the multifamily RFI rose 1.9%.
“Residential construction, measured by residential fixed investment, fell at its fastest pace in over three years, while household expenditures on housing services continued to remain steady,” said Jess Wade, economist and director of tax and trade policy analysis at the National Association of Homebuilders. “However, the housing share of GDP lagged during the post-Great Recession period due to underbuilding, particularly in the single-family sector.”
