Eurozone GDP grows 0.4% in third quarter

The eurozone economy grew 0.4 percent in the third quarter, the EU's statistics agency said Friday, slowing from 0.6 percent in the previous quarter but exceeding the 0.2 percent forecast by economists surveyed by Bloomberg.

The data covered the 21-country single currency area and came despite pressure from the Middle East war and higher energy costs.

France, the eurozone's second-biggest economy, contracted by 0.1 percent in the July-to-September period. With earlier 2026 data, France's economy has not grown this year.

Germany, Europe's largest economy, grew by 0.2 percent in the third quarter after expanding by 0.3 percent in the second quarter. Italy recorded no growth, while Spain's economy grew by 0.6 percent.

ING chief economist Bert Colijn said the eurozone economy appeared to have shrugged off the Middle East crisis and remained resilient despite the worsening energy shock.