The euro area economy grew by 0.4% in the third quarter of 2026 compared with the previous quarter, according to a flash estimate published by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. The broader EU recorded a quarter-on-quarter expansion of 0.5% over the same period. Both figures represent a moderation from the second quarter of 2026, when GDP had grown by 0.6% in the euro area and 0.7% in the EU.
Measured against the same quarter of the previous year, GDP rose by 1.3% in the euro area and 1.5% in the EU in the third quarter of 2026, up slightly from year-on-year readings of 1.2% and 1.4% respectively in the preceding quarter.
For comparison, GDP in the United States increased by 0.8% in the third quarter of 2026 relative to the previous quarter, following a 0.6% rise in the second quarter. On an annual basis, US GDP grew by 2.1% in the third quarter, after 2.2% in the second.
On the labour market side, the number of employed persons in both the euro area and the EU was unchanged quarter-on-quarter in the third quarter of 2026. In the second quarter, employment had grown by 0.1% in both areas. Year-on-year, employment increased by 0.4% in both the euro area and the EU in the third quarter, compared with 0.5% in the euro area and 0.4% in the EU in the prior quarter.
Eurostat notes that the flash GDP estimates for the third quarter of 2026 are based on member states' data covering 97% of euro area and EU GDP, while flash employment estimates draw on data covering 95% of euro area and 92% of EU total employment. A preliminary flash GDP estimate had already been published on 30 October 2026, based on figures from 19 member states.
The figures may be revised with Eurostat's regular estimates of GDP and main aggregates, scheduled for publication on 7 December 2026 and 19 January 2027.
This article is based on a primary source and has undergone editorial review prior to publication.
