Duration of US economic recoveries since World War II, at a glance

The expansion of the U.S. economy will hit its six-year mark in June. Though growth overall has generally been mild, this recovery has proved to be one of the most durable and steady periods of growth since World War II.

At 69 months (assuming it endures through March) and counting, this recovery is the fifth-longest since World War II and sixth-longest since record-keeping began in the 1850s.

The longest recovery on record was the 10-year period that lasted from March 1991 until March 2001, according to the National Bureau of Economic Research, which officially determines the beginnings and ends of recoveries and recessions.

Below are the U.S. economy's previous cycles of expansion in the post-World War II era:

DATES DURATION (in months)
March 1991-March 2001 120
February 1961-December 1969 106
November 1982-July 1990 92
November 2001-December 2007 73
June 2009 -present 69 (assuming growth through March 2015)
March 1975-January 1980 58
October 1949-July 1953 45
May 1954-August 1957 39
October 1945-November 1948 37
November 1970-November 1973 36