In the first quarter of 2026, seasonally adjusted GDP decreased by 0.2% in the euro area and by 0.1% in the EU, compared to the previous quarter. This is estimated by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. In the fourth quarter of 2025, GDP had increased by 0.2% in both areas.
Compared to the same quarter of the previous year, seasonally adjusted GDP increased by 0.3% in the euro area and by 0.7% in the EU in the first quarter of 2026, after an increase of 1.2% in the euro area and 1.4% in the EU in the previous quarter.
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Furthermore, based on seasonally adjusted data, Eurostat estimates that 221.2 million people were employed in the EU in the first quarter, of which 176.3 million were in the euro area. Compared to the previous quarter, the number of employed people increased by 0.1% in the euro area and remained stable in the EU. In the fourth quarter of 2025, employment had increased by 0.2% in both areas.
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