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Weights and Measures Economic Index

The basic principle of state-regulated weights and measures activities is to reduce errors in commercial measurement and thus minimize economic loss to buyers or sellers in the marketplace. The total dollar value of commodities and services sold on the basis of weight or measure or subject to price verification inspections provides one indicator for the impact of weights and measures on the U.S. economy.

In 1999, OWM conducted an analysis of the impact of weights and measures regulations on the commercial transactions of U.S. products and services sold on the basis of weight or measure or subject to price verification inspections. This amounted to $4.5 trillion (53%) of the $8.5 trillion U.S. Gross Domestic Product (1998).

OWM repeated the analysis in 2024 with the assistance of the NIST Research Library. Using 2022 market sector data to include new sectors of ride-sharing, cannabis, and e-commerce, the impact of weights and measures regulations on the commercial transactions of U.S. products and services amounted to $12 trillion (45%) of the $26.4 trillion U.S. Gross Domestic Product (2022).

Weights and Measures Economic Index Infographic
U.S. products and services sold based on weight, measure, or subject to price verification inspections amount to $12 trillion (45%) of the $26.4 trillion U.S. Gross Domestic Product (2022).
Credit: NIST/K. Dill

The table below summarizes the estimated dollar values (in billions) for the various groups of products and services sold on the basis of weight or measure or subject to price verification inspections using 1998 and 2022 market sector data. 

CategoryProduct and Services

1998 Market Sector Data

Billions ($)

2022 Market Sector Data

Billions ($)

1Food Sales (wholesale and retail)

815.3

976

2Retail Sales (not including food) 

2,000

5,994

3Petroleum Products

260

882.2

4aOther Industries, Metals, Steel, and Industrial Minerals

39.5

484.5

4bOther Industries, Coal Mining

20

61.1

4cOther Industries, Lumber and Wood Products 

111

171.2

4dOther Industries, Construction Material 

26

146.8

4eOther Industries, Textiles

84.8

27.6

4fOther Industries, Paper Products

176

220.3

5Fruits, Nuts, Vegetables, Grains, and other crops

176.3

280.6

6aTransportation, Air Cargo

12

31.9

6bTransportation, Railroad Freight

35

80.5

6cTransportation, Truck Freight

347

441.5

7Legal Cannabis

22.8

8Ride Sharing

25.4

9aE-Commerce, Food

97.9

9bE-Commerce, Electronics

821.1

9cE-Commerce, Beauty & Personal Care

47.0

10Rental Cars

36.5

TOTAL

4,504

12,064

Please feel free to contact owm [at] nist.gov (owm[at]nist[dot]gov) for market sector data sources or to answer any other questions. 

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Created June 22, 2024, Updated February 10, 2025