Scan: GDP growth in 2036? — 2.6% to 3.0%

date	predicted	market price	confidence
2026-08-09	8%	7%	50%

1. Planner Opus 5

Tools chosen: kalshi_direct kalshi_related fred code_execution claude_news polymarket_related

Sub-questions (Fermi decomposition)

What is the current Kalshi YES price for KXGDPYEAR-36-B2.8, and what do the other buckets in the KXGDPYEAR-36 event imply about the market's full distribution for 2036 growth?
What fraction of US calendar years since 1950 (and since 1990) had annual real GDP growth between 2.6% and 3.0%?
What is the standard deviation and mean of annual US real GDP growth over recent decades, and what does a normal/empirical fit imply for the probability of a 0.4pp-wide bucket centered at 2.8%?
What do CBO long-term budget/economic projections and Fed SEP longer-run estimates say about US potential real GDP growth around 2036 (labor force + productivity)?
Do AI-driven productivity growth arguments plausibly shift the central expectation for 2030s growth above 2.5%, and how are forecasters treating this?
How has BEA annual real GDP growth been revised/measured recently (Q4/Q4 vs annual average), and which definition would Kalshi likely use?

Planner reasoning

This is a very long-horizon macro question: whether US real GDP growth in calendar 2036 lands in the narrow 2.6–3.0% band. The key inputs are (a) the Kalshi bucket prices across the whole KXGDPYEAR-36 event (to de-vig and see the implied distribution), (b) the historical base rate of annual real GDP growth falling in that band, and (c) long-run consensus projections (CBO/Fed SEP potential growth ~1.8–2.1%), which shift the distribution's center below the bucket.

2. Research

tool	status	time	items	summary
kalshi_direct	OK	0.2s	1	## This Market's Kalshi Data 2.6% to 3.0% (KXGDPYEAR-36-B2.8) - Current price (probability): 5.00% - 7-day price change: +0.00% - 30-day price change: -1.00% - Average daily volume: 1292 contracts - Price range: 4.00% - 10.00% - Data points: 12 days
kalshi_related	OK	3.4s	2	2 related markets / summaries. series KXGDPYEAR: 0 markets (skipped 100 no-signal) \| series KXGDP: 0 markets (skipped 36 no-signal) \| keyword 'GDP growth year': ok \| keyword 'real GDP growth': ok
fred	OK	6.2s	6	Fetched 6 FRED series (lookback=7300d) (via search 'real GDP annual percent change').
code_execution	OK	37.8s	0	## Key Findings: US GDP Growth 2036 — P(2.6%–3.0%) Empirical historical frequencies (using approximate BEA real GDP growth rates): - 1950–2024 (full sample, n=75): 10/75 years in [2.6%, 3.0%] → 13.3% - 1985–2024 (n=40): 7/40 years in range → 17.5% - **2000–2024 (n=25, most relev
claude_news	OK	28.3s	9	## Findings CBO Long-Term Projections (Feb 2026, "Budget and Economic Outlook: 2026 to 2036") - Real GDP grows by 2.2 percent in 2026 and then slows, averaging 1.8 percent per year from 2027 to 2036. This puts CBO's baseline well below the 2.6-3.0% range for 2036. (https://ideas.repec.org/p
polymarket_related	OK	3.4s	0	Scanned 100 active Polymarket markets, kept 0 matches. keyword 'GDP growth': 0 markets \| keyword 'US recession': 0 markets \| keyword 'real GDP': 0 markets

3. Evidence Brief Sonnet 5, 6454 chars

# Event Kalshi market KXGDPYEAR-36-B2.8: resolves YES if US real GDP growth in 2036 falls between 2.6% and 3.0%. # Outcomes to forecast - Yes (2036 real GDP growth in [2.6%, 3.0%]) - No (growth outside that band) # Kalshi market anchor Current YES price: **5.00%** (bucket KXGDPYEAR-36-B2.8). 7-day change: 0%; 30-day change: -1%. Price range over past 12 days: 4%-10%. Average daily volume: 1,292 contracts (relatively liquid for a long-dated econ market). Market has drifted slightly down, suggesting fading conviction in this middle-growth bucket. [kalshi_direct] # Sub-question answers 1. **Kalshi YES price & distribution implications** — YES = 5% currently (range 4-10% historically). Related buckets: 2035 growth 1.6-2.0% priced at 15%, 2034 growth 1.6-2.0% priced at 12% — both up 6-7pp in 30 days, indicating the market's near-term distribution is centered in the low-growth (1.6-2.0%) zone, not the 2.6-3.0% zone for 2036, which trades much lower. This suggests Kalshi's own construction skews growth expectations downward over time. [kalshi_related] 2. **Historical frequency 1950-2024/1990+** — Empirical analysis: 10/75 years (1950-2024) fell in [2.6%,3.0%] = 13.3%; narrower recent windows show higher hit-rates (17.5% for 1985-2024; 20% for 2000-2024) because modern trend growth sits near this band's center. [code_execution] 3. **Mean/SD and normal-fit probability** — Recent-era (2000-2024) mean ≈2.16%, SD≈1.75%; full-sample (1950-2024) mean≈3.17%, SD≈2.31%. Normal-distribution models (varying mean/SD assumptions) estimate P(band) at ~7-8.5%, notably below empirical hit-rates due to fat left tails from recessions. [code_execution] 4. **CBO/Fed longer-run projections** — CBO (Feb 2026 outlook) projects real GDP growth averaging just 1.8%/year 2027-2036, well below the band. Fed December 2025 SEP median longer-run growth is 1.8% (range 1.7-2.5% across participants); Fed officials broadly still anchor around 2.0% potential growth. Both institutional baselines sit below 2.6%. [claude_news] 5. **AI productivity upside** — Mixed/skeptical consensus: Goldman Sachs sees potential growth accelerating to only ~2.3% in early 2030s; Penn Wharton estimates a modest, fading AI productivity boost (~1.5% GDP level lift by 2035, minimal permanent growth-rate effect); Dallas Fed's "reasonable" scenario (+0.3pp/yr productivity) implies growth near 2.0-2.3%. Only Vanguard's more bullish scenario and Goldman's high-end (3.0pp productivity boost) range would push growth into 2.6-3.0%+ territory — treated as a tail/optimistic case, not central. [claude_news] 6. **Measurement basis (Q4/Q4 vs annual average)** — Not directly addressed in research; FRED series A191RL1A225NBEA (annual % change, annual-average basis) is the standard BEA calendar-year real GDP growth series most likely referenced by Kalshi's "annual growth" framing; no explicit confirmation of Kalshi's exact methodology found. [gap] # Key facts (high-confidence, factual) 1. [kalshi_direct] YES price for 2.6-3.0% (2036) bucket = 5%, volume ~1,292/day, trending flat-to-slightly-down over 30 days. 2. [fred] Recent actual annual real GDP growth (A191RL1A225NBEA): 2024=2.8%, 2023=2.9%, 2022=2.5%, 2019=2.6%, 2018=3.0% — several recent years have landed inside or near this band. 3. [claude_news] CBO Feb 2026 baseline: 1.8%/year average 2027-2036. 4. [claude_news] Fed Dec 2025 SEP median longer-run growth: 1.8% (range 1.7-2.5%). 5. [code_execution] Empirical historical frequency of landing in [2.6%,3.0%]: 13.3% (1950-2024), rising to ~17.5-20% in more recent subsamples. # Cross-market signals - Kalshi related: 2035 (1.6-2.0% bucket) priced 15%, 2034 (1.6-2.0%) priced 12%, both trending up sharply (+6-7pp/30d) — market consensus is shifting toward lower-growth buckets for near-term years, which may pull down expectations for 2036 too, or simply reflect near-term cyclical softness distinct from a decade-out structural view. - Nominal GDP growth 2036 (Above 6.0%) priced 36%, up sharply — implies higher nominal growth expectations, but real growth still constrained by CBO/Fed baseline assumptions plus inflation. - Polymarket: no matching markets found; no cross-check available. # Analyst opinions and speculation - Goldman Sachs: potential growth ~2.3% early 2030s (below band), driven by moderate AI productivity boost (median GS estimate +1.5pp productivity, range 0.3-3.0pp). - Penn Wharton: AI's growth effect small and front-loaded, largely fading by 2036; central case inconsistent with band. - Vanguard: bullish outlier scenario puts growth "near 3% during the 2030s" — one of few sources compatible with YES. - Dallas Fed: conservative AI boost scenario keeps growth near 2.0-2.3%, below band. - Overall analyst distribution skews toward growth below 2.6%, with only tail/optimistic scenarios reaching the band. # Directional lean per outcome - **Yes (2.6-3.0%)**: Supported by recent actual-year hits (2018, 2023, 2024 all in/near range) and empirical base rates (13-20%) exceeding current 5% market price — some mispricing risk toward YES. Opposed by CBO/Fed structural baselines (~1.8-2.0%) and most AI-productivity analysis showing insufficient uplift by 2036. - **No**: Strongly supported by institutional consensus (CBO, Fed SEP) placing central 2036 growth estimate near 1.8-2.0%, well below band; also supported by demographic/labor-force headwinds embedded in those forecasts. Kalshi's own pricing of nearby-year buckets (skewing to 1.6-2.0%) reinforces low-growth lean. # Gaps / unknowns - No confirmation of exact GDP growth definition Kalshi will use (Q4/Q4 vs annual average vs BEA "annual" chain-weighted figure) — could shift realized value by 0.2-0.5pp. - No 2036-specific consensus forecast exists yet (10 years out); all evidence is extrapolated from current-decade projections. - Full Kalshi 2036 bucket distribution (all buckets) not retrieved — only three related buckets across years seen, limiting arbitrage/consistency check. - No Polymarket or sportsbook cross-market data available. # Calibration anchors - Kalshi current YES price: **5%** (anchor). - Empirical historical base rate for band: ~13-20% depending on lookback window — meaningfully above current market price, suggesting possible market underpricing, tempered by structurally lower CBO/Fed growth baselines (~1.8-2.0%) for the 2030s specifically. - Normal-distribution parametric estimates: ~7-8.5%, closer to (but still above) current market price.

4. Forecasters Opus 5 + GPT-5.6 Sol, in parallel

claude-opus-5

60% conf

Yes	8%
No	92%

The Kalshi anchor for the 2.6-3.0% bucket is 5% and has been flat-to-drifting-down, while related buckets show the market clustering expectations in the 1.6-2.0% zone. Institutional baselines (CBO Feb 2026: 1.8%/yr average 2027-2036; Fed SEP longer-run median 1.8%) and most AI-productivity analyses (Goldman ~2.3% potential, Penn Wharton fading effect, Dallas Fed 2.0-2.3%) place the central 2036 estimate well below the band, with only Vanguard's bullish scenario compatible. However, empirical base rates for landing in [2.6%,3.0%] are 13-20% and recent actuals (2018 3.0%, 2023 2.9%, 2024 2.8%) show the band is attainable, while normal-fit parametric models give ~7-8.5%. I nudge slightly above the 5% market price to ~8%, splitting the difference between the market anchor and historical/parametric estimates, acknowledging a decade-out forecast has wide uncertainty.

gpt-5.6-sol

62% conf

Yes	7%
No	93%

The 5% Kalshi YES price is the primary anchor, reinforced by nearby markets shifting toward 1.6%-2.0% growth. CBO and Fed longer-run projections around 1.8%, plus mainstream AI-productivity estimates implying only about 2.0%-2.3% growth, strongly favor No. However, normal-fit estimates of 7%-8.5% and historical band frequencies of 13%-20% suggest 5% may modestly underprice the chance of an idiosyncratically strong year, so I raise YES to 7%. Uncertainty over the precise GDP measurement basis and the decade-long horizon limits confidence.

5. Devil's Advocate Sonnet 5

Both forecasters anchor heavily to the 5% Kalshi price and only modestly adjust upward despite the brief explicitly noting empirical base rates (13-20%) and even normal-fit models (7-8.5%) sit above the market price — this is evidence of possible market mispricing that both treat as a minor nudge rather than seriously weighing "the market is wrong" as a live hypothesis, especially given Kalshi is a thin, long-dated, low-volume-relative-to-stakes market prone to anchoring/illiquidity biases.

Neither forecast grapples with the single-year variance point: 2036 is one specific year, not a 10-year average, so CBO/Fed's ~1.8% "average" projection is largely irrelevant to whether one single year lands in a 0.4pp-wide band — a mean of 1.8% with realistic annual SD (~1.5-2pp per the brief's own SD estimates) still assigns a non-trivial 10-15%+ chance to any given year hitting 2.6-3.0%, which is much closer to the empirical/normal estimates than to 5-8%.

Both anchor on recent actual hits (2018, 2023, 2024) as loosely supportive but don't address why, if 3 of the last 7 years landed in/near the band, the market and their own final numbers (7-8%) are so far below even the conservative empirical range (13.3%) — this discrepancy is asserted but never resolved, just "split the difference," which is not a rigorous adjustment.

Neither forecaster addresses the measurement-basis gap (Q4/Q4 vs annual average vs BEA chain-weighted) explicitly flagged in the brief as a 0.2-0.5pp source of ambiguity that could shift a borderline year in or out of the band — this uncertainty should widen error bars, not just be mentioned as a caveat.

Both converge on nearly identical numbers (7% and 8%) despite claiming independent reasoning, suggesting anchoring bias toward the Kalshi price rather than genuine independent synthesis of the conflicting evidence (institutional baseline ~1.8% vs. empirical band frequency ~13-20%); neither seriously considers that the true probability could sit meaningfully higher (10-13%) if empirical base rates are trusted over sparse point-estimate consensus forecasts.

Neither forecast considers the tail scenario where AI-driven productivity surprises (Goldman's high-end 3.0pp productivity boost, Vanguard's bullish case) combine with strong labor force/immigration assumptions to push a decade-out single year into the band — this is dismissed as "tail/optimistic" in the brief but given 10-year horizon and history of forecast error, this should get more than negligible weight in a bucket this wide (0.4pp).

6. Aggregator Opus 5

9% (61% confidence)

Yes: 9% No: 91%

Institutional baselines (CBO 1.8%/yr through 2036, Fed SEP 1.8% longer-run) put the central 2036 estimate below the band, and Kalshi's related-year pricing skews toward 1.6-2.0%. But the critique is right that a 10-year-out point forecast says little about a single year's realization: with a mean near 1.9-2.2% and a realistic annual SD of ~1.6-1.8pp, the parametric probability of landing in a 0.4pp-wide band just above the mean is ~8-9%, and empirical base rates (13-20%, with 2018/2023/2024 all in or near the band) sit higher still. Offsetting this, the historical base rate reflects an era of higher trend growth, and long-dated thin Kalshi markets can be anchored low but are still informative. I therefore set YES at 9% — above the 5% market price and slightly above both forecasters, reflecting single-year variance, measurement-basis ambiguity, and non-negligible AI-productivity upside tails, while still keeping the strong structural lean toward NO.

Pipeline Timing

Total pipeline time: 116.3s

Per-tool research timings shown in the Research section above.