Chart 2. Households Continued to Accumulate Debt During the 2001 Recession
 Year-Over-Year
Change in Real Mortgage
and Consumer Debt
Quarters Before/After
Onset of Recession
Average of Previous
Four Recessions*
2001 Recession
-8 5.77% 7.00%
-7 6.03% 6.44%
-6 6.07% 6.55%
-5 5.77% 6.07%
-4 5.91% 5.08%
-3 5.57% 5.36%
-2 4.77% 5.19%
-1 4.05% 5.46%
0 2.40% 5.63%
1 -0.14% 5.77%
2 -0.89% 6.05%
3 -1.40% 7.17%
4 -2.12% 8.18%
5 -0.60% 8.03%
6 -0.49% 8.27%
7 -0.15% 7.89%
8 1.65% 7.45%
9 2.25% 8.78%

* Treats twin recessions in the early 1980s as one.

Source: Federal Reserve Board Flow of Funds