Recession Defined by Two Consecutive Negative GDP Quarters

Steps:

• Recall recession as two consecutive quarters of negative real GDP growth.
• Review table data for each country's quarterly GDP changes.
• Check for patterns: positive growth indicates expansion; isolated negatives do not qualify.
• Identify country with two back-to-back negative quarters.

Why D is correct:

• Country D shows negative GDP growth in two consecutive quarters, matching the standard economic definition of a recession.

Why the others are wrong:

• A: All quarters show positive GDP growth, indicating economic expansion.
• B: Only one quarter of negative growth, followed by positive, so no recession.
• C: Mixed but no two consecutive negative quarters, avoiding recession criteria.

Final answer: D