Real GDP increased 5.6 percent after increasing 2.2 percent in the third quarter. Inventory investment accelerated, imports decelerated, and business investment turned up. Consumer spending and federal government spending slowed.

Net government saving increased $60.8 billion to –$1,307.7 billion. Net federal government saving increased $46.4 billion to –$1,307.2 billion. Net state and local government saving increased $14.4 billion to –$0.5 billion.

These statistics, including those for inventories for manufacturing by stage of fabrication, have been updated.

BEA has proposed measures to supplement the GDP accounts that would give economists additional tools to analyze the distribution of income across households, sectors, and regions as well as trends in saving, investment, and asset prices.

The U.S. current-account deficit increased $13.2 billion to $115.6 billion, reflecting an increase in the deficit on goods. In the financial account, net financial inflows decreased $40.0 billion to $45.7 billion. In 2009, the current-account deficit decreased to $419.9 billion, the smallest deficit since 2001.

State personal income for the nation decreased 1.7 percent in 2009. Personal income increased in only six states. Nationally, per capita personal income fell 2.6 percent after increasing 2.0 percent in 2008.