Eurozone GDP Grows 0.4% in Third Quarter, Above Forecasts

The euro area economy expanded by 0.4% in the third quarter of 2026 compared with the previous three months, according to a preliminary estimate released by Eurostat on Friday, October 30. The result was stronger than the 0.2% expansion expected by economists surveyed ahead of the release, although growth slowed from 0.6% in the second quarter.

Across the wider European Union, output increased by 0.5% quarter on quarter, down from 0.7% in the preceding period. Compared with the third quarter of 2025, GDP was 1.3% higher in the euro area and 1.5% higher across the EU. These figures are seasonally adjusted, meaning predictable calendar effects have been removed to make periods more comparable.

The headline figure conceals substantial differences between national economies. Ireland registered a 5.5% quarterly increase, while Spain and the Netherlands each expanded by 0.6%. France contracted by 0.1%, and Lithuania recorded a 1.0% decline. Germany's economy grew by 0.2%, while Italy's output was unchanged, according to national figures reported on Friday.

The result provides evidence that activity continued to grow despite elevated energy prices and borrowing costs. It does not, however, establish that growth will accelerate in the coming quarters. Business investment, household spending and external demand remain exposed to changes in financing conditions and fuel prices.

Eurostat stressed that this is a preliminary flash estimate assembled from incomplete information and that subsequent releases may revise the figures. The third-quarter growth rate therefore should not be treated as a final measurement of economic activity.

Sources

•BGNES reporting on the GDP release and analyst expectations.

•Reuters reporting syndicated by Global Banking & Finance Review.

Sources

•Supporting source 1

•Supporting source 2