Europe · Business news · Economy · 30 Jul 2026
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Eurostat's preliminary flash estimate shows seasonally adjusted GDP rose 0.4% in the euro area and 0.5% in the EU in the second quarter of 2026 from the previous quarter, after 0.0% and 0.1% in the first quarter. Against a year earlier, output was up 1.0% in the euro area and 1.2% in the EU. Among countries with data, Ireland (+3.9%), Lithuania (+1.7%) and Sweden (+1.4%) grew fastest, while Belgium and Austria were flat. Germany grew 0.2%, France 0.2% and Spain 0.7%. Eurostat notes the estimates rest on incomplete data and are subject to revision.
Aggregate output is a broad gauge of domestic demand for European companies that sell mainly at home: banks through loan demand and credit quality, retailers and leisure groups through household spending, and capital-goods and construction firms through investment. Growth resumed in a quarter when energy prices were high, which the ECB weighed alongside inflation when it tightened policy. The direct effect of one flash estimate on any single sector is small, and Ireland's swing reflects multinational accounting more than underlying activity.
Reported by Eurostat (republished by Kurzy.cz) — “GDP up by 0.4% in the euro area and by 0.5% in the EU” ↗ on 30 Jul 2026.
Official series on 30 Jul 2026 or the last day before it, and the latest observation.
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