National Gross Domestic Product Increases 2.4 Percent

Real gross domestic product in the United States rose 2.4 percent last year compared with the previous year. Expanding were the private goods and private services sectors, while the government sector declined.

Eighteen of 22 industry groups grew.

Highlights:

• The professional, scientific and technical services category rose 4.2 percent in 2014, the largest increase since 2008.
• The nondurable goods manufacturing sector, which includes food and beverage products and petroleum and coal products, also rose 4.2 percent last year, the largest increase since 2004.
• Construction fell 0.7 percent in 2014 after rising the previous two years.