Last updated: September 13th, 2024
This page has the comparisons between Biden vs Bush across all the metrics we track. Since President Biden is still in office, Biden's performance is still current date and Bush's performance is for the same equivalent time period in Bush's presidency.
With respect to cumulative performance, Joe Biden has performed better on 5 out of the 5 metrics we track. President Biden's highest performance difference was on the indicator NASDAQ Index performing 65.04% better than President Bush. President Biden's lowest performance difference was on GDP performing 11.74% better than President Bush.
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 Biden compare to Bush in the stock market? We share the facts on cumulative and annualized performance between Biden and Bush in the stock market. Cumulatively across the S&P 500, Biden is at 48.10% compared to Bush at -16.14% a difference of 64.24%. On the NASDAQ, Biden is at 34.00% compared to Bush at -31.04% a difference of 65.04%. Finally, on the DOW Jones, Biden is at 33.83% compared to Bush at -2.58% a difference of 36.41%.
| Index Cumulative Performance | Joe Biden | George W Bush | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| NASDAQ | 34.00% | -31.04% | Biden +65.04% |
| DOW | 33.83% | -2.58% | Biden +36.41% |
| S&P | 48.10% | -16.14% | Biden +64.24% |
| Index Annualized Performance | Joe Biden | George W Bush | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| NASDAQ | 8.34% | -9.68% | Biden +18.02% |
| DOW | 8.31% | -0.71% | Biden +9.02% |
| S&P | 11.35% | -4.71% | Biden +16.06% |
How does Biden compare to Bush with respect to GDP Growth? We share the facts on cumulative and annualized GDP growth. Cumulatively Biden is at 20.11% compared to Bush at 8.37% a difference of 11.74%
| GDP | Joe Biden | George W Bush | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cumulative | 20.11% | 8.37% | Biden +11.74% |
| Annualized | 5.89% | 2.54% | Biden +3.35% |
How does Biden compare to Bush in non-farm payroll? We share the facts on cumulative and annualized jobs created. Cumulatively Biden is at 11.29% compared to Bush at -0.57% a difference of 11.87%
| Indicator Cumulative Gain/Loss | Joe Biden | George W Bush | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cumulative | 11.29% | -0.57% | Biden +11.87% |
| Annualized | 3.07% | -0.16% | Biden +3.24% |
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?
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