Brussels: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. This follows a stronger growth in the second quarter of 2026, where GDP had increased by 0.6% in the euro area and by 0.7% in the EU.

According to Wam, 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. This is an improvement over the previous quarter's growth of 1.2% in the euro area and 1.4% in the EU.

Among the Member States with available data for the third quarter, Ireland recorded the highest GDP increase at 5.5% compared to the previous quarter. This was followed by Estonia, Spain, and the Netherlands, each with a growth of 0.6%. However, declines were noted in Lithuania, with a decrease of 1.0%, and France, with a slight drop of 0.1%. Year-on-year growth rates were positive for fourteen countries and negative for one.