The stock market boom of the late 1990s had a large impact on the US economy. The annual growth rate of GDP would have been around 2.8% instead of the reported 4.5% without the stock market boom. The boom added approximately $2.5 trillion per year to household wealth, fueling more consumption and investment. This additional growth accounts for the unusually strong economic expansion during that period. The economy may have avoided recession in 2001-2002 without the boom and subsequent market correction.