What Is the GDP Expenditure Approach?

The GDP expenditure approach is one method used by economists to determine the Gross Domestic Product of a specific country. This approach to the GDP, which is a key indicator of economic strength, is basically achieved by adding up all of the expenditures amassed by the citizens and businesses in a company. Such expenditures may include consumer purchases, business investments, government purchases, and net exports. Using the GDP expenditure approach is in direct contrast to the other main method for determining gross domestic product, which necessitates that all of the various incomes earned within a country be added up.

One of the chief measurements of economic strength among the various nations of the world is the gross domestic product, or GDP. The GDP essentially measures everything that a country has produced over a specific period of time. Studying it over time can reveal whether an economy is growing or receding, and it can also be used to show how that country stacks up against others like it. There are a few different methods for measuring GDP, including the GDP expenditure approach.

Simply adding up all of the expenditures that a nation has made over a given time is the essential concept of the GDP expenditure approach. Of course, it is crucial that nothing be left out of the equation. In general, the biggest piece of the GDP pie is consumer purchasing. These household expenditures, which can include long-term purchases like furniture and also more frequent purchases like food or clothing, generally comprise the largest percentage of a country's GDP.

Government spending is the next part of the equation that makes up the GDP expenditure approach. This can include any type of public projects by national, state, and local governments, as well as wages paid to employees of these governments. Investment spending is also included in the GDP, and this can range from individuals investing in homes to businesses making various investments in equipment, office locations, or inventory. Finally, net exports — a country's export amount subtracted from its import totals — is the last addend in the equation.

All of these different expenditures are added up in the GDP expenditure approach to calculate GDP. There are other approaches that may be used to come to a GDP total. The most common of these is the income approach, which is basically a reversal of the expenditure approach. Instead of totaling all the money spent, the income approach tracks all the income received by a country's producers.