Last updated: April 24th, 2024
This page has the comparisons between Obama vs Clinton across all the metrics we track. President Obama and President Clinton data are no longer in office. Their data has been set to be as equivalent by days in office to make a fair comparison of their performance. This accounts for presidents that had one term vs two terms, or presidents that had a much shortened term.
With respect to cumulative performance, Barack Obama has performed better on 0 out of the 5 metrics we track. President Obama's lowest performance difference was on DOW Jones Index performing -86.89% worse than President Clinton.
We highly recommend you read this article as well prior: What's the best way to interpret the facts and data on Facts First?
How does Obama compare to Clinton in the stock market? We share the facts on cumulative and annualized performance between Obama and Clinton in the stock market. Cumulatively across the S&P 500, Obama is at 166.28% compared to Clinton at 208.54% a difference of -42.26%. On the NASDAQ, Obama is at 262.26% compared to Clinton at 297.58% a difference of -35.33%. Finally, on the DOW Jones, Obama is at 138.28% compared to Clinton at 225.17% a difference of -86.89%.
| Index Cumulative Performance | Barack Obama | Bill Clinton | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| NASDAQ | 262.26% | 297.58% | Obama -35.33% |
| DOW | 138.28% | 225.17% | Obama -86.89% |
| S&P | 166.28% | 208.54% | Obama -42.26% |
| Index Annualized Performance | Barack Obama | Bill Clinton | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| NASDAQ | 17.44% | 18.82% | Obama -1.37% |
| DOW | 11.46% | 15.87% | Obama -4.41% |
| S&P | 13.01% | 15.11% | Obama -2.10% |
How does Obama compare to Clinton with respect to GDP Growth? We share the facts on cumulative and annualized GDP growth. Cumulatively Obama is at 18.62% compared to Clinton at 34.23% a difference of -15.61%
| GDP | Barack Obama | Bill Clinton | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cumulative | 18.62% | 34.23% | Obama -15.61% |
| Annualized | 2.17% | 3.77% | Obama -1.60% |
How does Obama compare to Clinton in non-farm payroll? We share the facts on cumulative and annualized jobs created. Cumulatively Obama is at 8.63% compared to Clinton at 20.86% a difference of -12.23%
| Indicator Cumulative Gain/Loss | Barack Obama | Bill Clinton | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cumulative | 8.63% | 20.86% | Obama -12.23% |
| Annualized | 1.05% | 2.41% | Obama -1.36% |
We capture the data as soon as it’s available to us – stock market data after daily market close, jobs data once a month and GDP data once a quarter. After verifying the raw data, we then calculate updated cumulative and annualized performance data for the current president (the data for previous presidents have been calculated and verified in advance).
Some metrics are measured daily (like stock market performance), monthly (like jobs growth) and quarterly (like GDP growth). We start measurement of performance for a president from the first full time period after their inauguration. For stock market performance, it is the first stock market day in office. For jobs growth, it’s either first full calendar month in office (so if you are inaugurated in the middle of January, the first full month is February). This ensures a consistent starting point across all presidencies.
Also, read these articles in our Learning Center:
- What is the difference between cumulative and annualized performance?
- What’s the best way to interpret the facts and data on Facts First?
Want to share our charts but need to verify our data?
We are happy to share the raw data and methodologies we use with any media organization that wants to link to or share our charts and data. If that is of interest to you, please contact us.
(Due the amount of requests, we must limit inquiries and responses to media representatives only.)
