经济增长是经济学家和记者常用的表达方式，意思是一个国家当年国内生产总值对比往年的增长率。更一般地来探讨，经济成长的涵义是指，在一定时间内，一个经济体系生产内部成员生活所需要商品与劳务潜在生产力之扩大（亦即生产可能性曲线向外扩张）。生产力之成长主要决定于一个国家自然资源禀赋、实质资本累数量累积与质量提升、人力资本累积、技术水准提升以及制度环境改善。因此，经济成长也意涵决定生产力之诸多因素的扩展与改善。

支持经济增长的人认为它可以增加一个国家的财富并且增加就业机会。经济正增长一般被认为是整体经济景气的表现。

Economic growth is the increase in the inflation-adjusted market value of the goods and services produced by an economy over time. It is conventionally measured as the percent rate of increase in real gross domestic product, or real GDP. Of more importance is the growth of the ratio of GDP to population (GDP per capita, which is also called per capita income). An increase in growth caused by more efficient use of inputs (such as labor, physical capital, energy or materials) is referred to as intensive growth. GDP growth caused only by increases in the amount of inputs available for use (increased population, new territory) is called extensive growth.