A comparative study of different neural networks in predicting gross domestic product

Gross domestic product (GDP) can well reflect the development of the economy, and predicting GDP can help better grasp the future economic trends. In this article, three different neural network models, the genetic algorithm – back-propagation neural network model, the particle swarm optimization (PSO) – Elman neural network (Elman NN) model, and the bat algorithm – long short-term memory model, were analyzed based on neural networks. The GDP data of Sichuan province from 1992 to 2020 were collected to compare the performance of the three models in predicting GDP. It was found that the mean absolute percentage error values of the three models were 0.0578, 0.0236, and 0.0654, respectively; the root-mean-square error values were 0.0287, 0.0166, and 0.0465, respectively; and the PSO-Elman NN model had the best performance in GDP prediction. The experimental results demonstrate that neural networks were reliable in predicting GDP and can be used for further applications in practice.