Recession shapes

![The Recession of 1973–75 in the United States could be considered a U-shaped recession.[1] Percent Change From Preceding Period in Real Gross Domestic Product (annualized; seasonally adjusted); Average GDP growth 1947–2009Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis](/uploads/202501/09/1973-75_recession5844.jpg)


Recession shapes are used by economists to describe different types of recessions. There is no specific academic theory or classification system for recession shapes; rather the terminology is used as an informal shorthand to characterize recessions and their recoveries.