Goldman Sachs raises US recession probability to 45%, cuts 2025 growth forecast

Goldman Sachs is out with a note titled “Countdown to Recession.”

Goldman Sachs has lowered its U.S. growth outlook and raised the probability of a recession, warning that a confluence of tighter financial conditions, growing global backlash, and surging policy uncertainty could weigh more heavily on the economy than previously expected.

In a note to clients, the bank trimmed its 2025 Q4/Q4 GDP growth forecast to just 0.5%, down from earlier estimates, and lifted its 12-month recession probability from 35% to 45%.

The downgrade reflects what Goldman describes as a “sharp tightening in financial conditions,” alongside foreign consumer boycotts and heightened policy unpredictability that is expected to curb capital spending more than initially projected.

“This baseline forecast still assumes a 15 percentage point increase in the effective U.S. tariff rate,” the economists wrote

Goldman Sachs raises US recession probability to 45%, cuts 2025 growth forecast