BRUSSELS, 31st October, 2026 (WAM) -- In the third quarter of 2026, seasonally adjusted GDP increased by 0.4% in the euro area and by 0.5% in the EU, compared with the previous quarter, according to a preliminary flash estimate published by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. In the second quarter of 2026, GDP had increased by 0.6% in the euro area and by 0.7% in the EU.
Compared with the same quarter of the previous year, seasonally adjusted GDP increased by 1.3% in the euro area and by 1.5% in the EU in the third quarter of 2026, after +1.2% in the euro area and +1.4% in the EU in the previous quarter.
Among the Member States for which data are available for the third quarter of 2026, Ireland (+5.5%) recorded the highest increase compared to the previous quarter, followed by Estonia, Spain and Netherlands (all +0.6%). Declines were recorded in Lithuania (-1.0%) and France (-0.1%). The year-on-year growth rate was positive for fourteen countries and negative for one country.