<p>A downturn is characterized by a time period of lower economic growth or economic contraction. The term economic downturn has no formal definition and can mean many things including a recession. An economic downturn might also be used to describe periods of lower economic growth. On the other hand a recession is a specific term that is often used to describe <a href="https://www.investopedia.com/terms/r/recession.asp" rel="nofollow noreferrer">two consecutive quarters</a> of economic contraction.</p>
<p>For example, Australia has experienced near continuous growth since the <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/gdp-australia-grabs-record-for-longest-time-without-a-recession-20170607-gwm0o2.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">early 1990s</a>. In that three decade span Australia has experienced individual quarters of contraction but never two consecutive quarters of contraction. So it can be said that Australia has experience brief economic downturns but no recessions in the past decades.</p>
<p>Not completely the same as a list of countries that have experience economic downturns, but <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_economic_crises#2010s" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Wikipedia</a> has a list of economic crisis by decade. A few notable examples in the 2010 to 2018 time frame are Brazil, Greece, and Venezuela.</p>
<p><a href="http://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/185391583249079464/pdf/Global-Recessions.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Here</a> is a chart from a World Bank research paper that shows the number of countries in recession by year.</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/z7yFQ.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/z7yFQ.png" alt="Countries in recession" /></a></p>
<hr />
<p>This definition comes from the site <a href="https://marketbusinessnews.com/financial-glossary/economic-downturn/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Market Business News</a> and offers a more precise definition of economic downturn.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>An economic downturn, or a downturn, occurs when the value of stocks, property, and commodities fall, productivity either grows more slowly or declines, and GDP (gross domestic product) shrinks, stands still or expands more slowly.</p>
</blockquote>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/12VVu.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/12VVu.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-11T05:24:03.973Z
Let say if a country experienced a GDP growth of 5.0% in the previous year, but the next year it still experienced a growth but at a lower percentage such as 3.5%, can we consider this as a downturn?
Anonymous M
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-11T14:25:17.447Z
It is tough to give an exact answer because the term is so ambiguous. The best I could say is maybe. Some might call it an economic slowdown.
Scc33
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-11T14:33:19.130Z
I added some clarification and a graph to the answer that I think helps explain this. Yes this might be considered a downturn (see graph).
Scc33
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-10T16:27:31.257Z
2020-07-11T14:28:49.127Z
2020-07-11T14:28:49.127Z
Scc33
<p>I would like to know the characteristics of economic downturn. Is downturn the same as recession? and which countries experience economic downturn from 2010 to 2018?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-10T16:08:49.930Z
This is an English language usage question. “Recession” has (multiple) formal definitions in economics (e.g., the NBER has criteria for defining a recession in the United States.) “Downturn” is an English word that is used a lot in commentary, but has no formal definition. Although most would consider a formal recession to be a “downturn,” it might  also be a period of lower-than-usual GDP growth, that does not qualify as a recession. Since this is a loose definition, there cannot be a definitive list of “downturns.”
Brian Romanchuk
<macroeconomics><nonexpert>
What is the characteristics of economic downturn and which countries experience economic downturn from 2010 to 2018?
Anonymous M
# What is the characteristics of economic downturn and which countries experience economic downturn from 2010 to 2018?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-07-10)

I would like to know the characteristics of economic downturn. Is downturn the same as recession? and which countries experience economic downturn from 2010 to 2018?

**Tags:** macroeconomics, nonexpert
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: This is an English language usage question. “Recession” has (multiple) formal definitions in economics (e.g., the NBER has criteria for defining a recession in the United States.) “Downturn” is an English word that is used a lot in commentary, but has no formal definition. Although most would consider a formal recession to be a “downturn,” it might  also be a period of lower-than-usual GDP growth, that does not qualify as a recession. Since this is a loose definition, there cannot be a definitive list of “downturns.”  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2020-07-10. Score: 1

A downturn is characterized by a time period of lower economic growth or economic contraction. The term economic downturn has no formal definition and can mean many things including a recession. An economic downturn might also be used to describe periods of lower economic growth. On the other hand a recession is a specific term that is often used to describe [two consecutive quarters](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/r/recession.asp) of economic contraction.

For example, Australia has experienced near continuous growth since the [early 1990s](https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/gdp-australia-grabs-record-for-longest-time-without-a-recession-20170607-gwm0o2.html). In that three decade span Australia has experienced individual quarters of contraction but never two consecutive quarters of contraction. So it can be said that Australia has experience brief economic downturns but no recessions in the past decades.

Not completely the same as a list of countries that have experience economic downturns, but [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_economic_crises#2010s) has a list of economic crisis by decade. A few notable examples in the 2010 to 2018 time frame are Brazil, Greece, and Venezuela.

[Here](http://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/185391583249079464/pdf/Global-Recessions.pdf) is a chart from a World Bank research paper that shows the number of countries in recession by year.

[![Countries in recession](https://i.sstatic.net/z7yFQ.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/z7yFQ.png)

---

This definition comes from the site [Market Business News](https://marketbusinessnews.com/financial-glossary/economic-downturn/) and offers a more precise definition of economic downturn.

> An economic downturn, or a downturn, occurs when the value of stocks, property, and commodities fall, productivity either grows more slowly or declines, and GDP (gross domestic product) shrinks, stands still or expands more slowly.

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/12VVu.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/12VVu.png)

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Let say if a country experienced a GDP growth of 5.0% in the previous year, but the next year it still experienced a growth but at a lower percentage such as 3.5%, can we consider this as a downturn?  
> **username_2**: It is tough to give an exact answer because the term is so ambiguous. The best I could say is maybe. Some might call it an economic slowdown.  
> **username_2**: I added some clarification and a graph to the answer that I think helps explain this. Yes this might be considered a downturn (see graph).  

---

