As the United States economy approaches 2026, a nuanced picture emerges of resilience, technological innovation, and economic complexity that defies simple categorization.

Recent economic data reveals a robust performance that has surprised many analysts. After a tumultuous year marked by President Donald Trump's return to the White House and a protectionist policy stance, the nation's economic indicators have shown remarkable strength. In a bold declaration this month, Trump proclaimed the US was on the brink of an economic boom "the likes of which the world has never seen".

Gross domestic product (GDP) growth has been particularly impressive, with the third quarter of 2025 showing an annualized growth rate of 4.3 percent - the strongest performance in two years. This stands in stark contrast to other developed economies, where growth has been substantially more modest. The eurozone and United Kingdom saw annualized growth of just 2.3 and 1.3 percent respectively, while Japan actually experienced a 2.3 percent economic contraction during the same period.

A significant driver of this economic momentum has been massive investments in artificial intelligence, led by tech giants like Microsoft, Amazon, and Alphabet. Estimated AI-related spending accounted for approximately 40 percent of all economic growth in 2025, highlighting the transformative potential of this emerging technology. Economist Campbell Harvey from Duke University suggests 2026 could be a pivotal year where AI and decentralized financial technologies begin to deliver substantial productivity gains.

Despite the impressive headline numbers, the economic landscape remains complex. Consumer sentiment remains surprisingly low, with the University of Michigan's consumer sentiment index hovering around 53.3 in December - only marginally improved from June 2022's record lows. Interestingly, this sentiment disconnect hasn't dampened spending, with consumer expenditures growing 3.5 percent in the July-September quarter and holiday spending up 3.9 percent year-over-year.

The underlying economic narrative reveals a growing wealth disparity. The top 10 percent of earners now account for roughly half of all consumer spending - the highest proportion since data compilation began in 1989. This stratification provides crucial context for understanding the seemingly contradictory economic signals.

Economists offer measured assessments of the current economic landscape. Harvey rates the economy a 6 out of 10, emphasizing the need for greater economic ambition. Rolf J Langhammer from the Kiel Institute for the World Economy provides a similar assessment, noting that while the International Monetary Fund initially forecast 2.7 percent growth, current performance hovers closer to 2 percent.

As 2025 concludes, the US economy stands at an intriguing crossroads - showing remarkable resilience, powered by technological innovation, yet wrestling with underlying structural challenges. The coming year promises to be a critical test of whether emerging technologies like AI can truly transform economic productivity and address growing economic inequalities.