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Comparison

M1 vs M2 Money Supply: Chart and Difference

The narrow and broad money stocks on the same monthly dates, with M1 expressed as a share of M2 so the composition shift is visible.

M1 Money Stock (FRED M1SL)M2 Money Stock (FRED M2SL)Matched history Jan 1959 to Aug 2026
M1 as a share of M2
85.6%
1 August 2026
M1 Money Stock
$19.99T
M2 Money Stock
$23.34T
1 year earlier
85.3%1 August 2025
5 years earlier
94.6%1 August 2021
10 years earlier
25.6%1 August 2016
Highest
95.3%1 May 2022
Lowest
18.0%1 August 2008
M1 as a share of M2, Jan 1959 to Aug 2026
20.00%40.00%60.00%80.00%1960197019801990200020102020

Source: Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. Derived by M0 from FRED series M1SL and M2SL, matched on identical dates · Latest observation 1 August 2026. Figures are subject to revision by the publishing agency.

$5.00T$10.00T$15.00T$20.00T1960197019801990200020102020
$5.00T$10.00T$15.00T$20.00T1960197019801990200020102020

How M1 and M2 differ

M1 is currency held by the public, demand deposits and other liquid deposits. M2 is M1 plus small denomination time deposits and balances in retail money market funds. Everything in M1 is also in M2, so M1 can never exceed M2, and the gap between them is the less liquid money that sits in time deposits and retail money funds.

The share of M2 held in M1 moves with the cost of holding liquid money. When deposit and money fund yields rise, balances drift out of the most liquid accounts into time deposits and money funds, and the M1 share falls.

Before reading the chart

  • In May 2020 the Federal Reserve moved savings deposits from the non-M1 part of M2 into M1. M2 was unaffected, but M1 and therefore the M1 share of M2 jump at that date for reasons that are definitional, not economic. Comparisons that straddle May 2020 are not like for like.

Year by year

The last monthly observation of each calendar year. The current year shows the latest month.

YearM1M2M1 as a share of M2
2026$19.99T$23.34T85.6%
2025$19.09T$22.36T85.4%
2024$18.39T$21.49T85.6%
2023$17.98T$20.78T86.5%
2022$19.74T$21.29T92.7%
2021$20.43T$21.50T95.0%
2020$17.81T$19.12T93.1%
2019$4.02T$15.35T26.2%
2018$3.78T$14.39T26.3%
2017$3.64T$13.89T26.2%
2016$3.37T$13.24T25.5%
2015$3.13T$12.39T25.2%
2014$2.97T$11.72T25.4%
2013$2.69T$11.06T24.3%
2012$2.47T$10.49T23.6%
2011$2.17T$9.68T22.4%
2010$1.84T$8.82T20.8%
2009$1.69T$8.51T19.9%
2008$1.60T$8.20T19.5%
2007$1.37T$7.48T18.4%
2006$1.37T$7.08T19.3%
2005$1.37T$6.69T20.6%
2004$1.38T$6.42T21.4%
2003$1.31T$6.07T21.5%
2002$1.22T$5.78T21.1%
2001$1.18T$5.44T21.7%
2000$1.09T$4.93T22.1%
1999$1.12T$4.64T24.2%
1998$1.09T$4.38T25.0%
1997$1.07T$4.03T26.6%
1996$1.08T$3.82T28.3%
1995$1.13T$3.63T31.1%
1994$1.15T$3.49T33.0%
1993$1.13T$3.48T32.5%
1992$1.02T$3.43T29.9%
1991$897.0B$3.37T26.6%
1990$824.7B$3.27T25.2%
1989$792.9B$3.15T25.1%
1988$786.7B$2.99T26.3%
1987$750.2B$2.83T26.5%
1986$724.7B$2.73T26.6%
1985$619.8B$2.49T24.9%
1984$551.6B$2.31T23.9%
1983$521.4B$2.12T24.6%
1982$474.8B$1.91T24.9%
1981$436.7B$1.76T24.9%
1980$408.5B$1.60T25.5%
1979$381.8B$1.47T25.9%
1978$357.3B$1.37T26.2%
1977$330.9B$1.27T26.0%
1976$306.2B$1.15T26.6%
1975$287.1B$1.02T28.2%
1974$274.2B$902.1B30.4%
1973$262.9B$855.5B30.7%
1972$249.2B$802.3B31.1%
1971$228.3B$710.3B32.1%
1970$214.4B$626.6B34.2%
1969$203.9B$587.9B34.7%
1968$197.4B$566.9B34.8%
1967$183.3B$524.8B34.9%
1966$172.0B$480.2B35.8%
1965$167.8B$459.2B36.5%
1964$160.3B$424.8B37.7%
1963$153.3B$393.2B39.0%
1962$147.8B$362.7B40.7%
1961$145.2B$335.5B43.3%
1960$140.7B$312.4B45.0%
1959$139.9B$297.8B47.0%

M1 vs M2: common questions

What is the difference between M1 and M2 today?
As of 1 August 2026, M1 Money Stock was $19.99T and M2 Money Stock was $23.34T, so m1 as a share of m2 was 85.6%. Both series are from FRED (M1SL and M2SL) and are subject to revision.
What is the highest and lowest m1 as a share of m2 on record?
Across 812 matched months from 1 January 1959 to 1 August 2026, the highest reading was 95.3% on 1 May 2022 and the lowest was 18.0% on 1 August 2008.
How are M1 and M2 different?
M1 is currency held by the public, demand deposits and other liquid deposits. M2 is M1 plus small denomination time deposits and balances in retail money market funds. Everything in M1 is also in M2, so M1 can never exceed M2, and the gap between them is the less liquid money that sits in time deposits and retail money funds.
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