GDP up by 0.3% and employment up by 0.2% in the euro area
GDP growth in the euro area and EU
In the fourth quarter of 2025, seasonally adjusted GDP increased by 0.3% in both the euro area and the EU, compared with the previous quarter, according to a flash estimate published by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. In the third quarter of 2025, GDP had increased by 0.3% in the euro area and by 0.4% in the EU.
According to an estimation of annual growth for 2025, based on quarterly seasonally and calendar adjusted data, GDP increased by 1.5% in the euro area and by 1.6% in the EU.
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 fourth quarter of 2025, after +1.4% in the euro area and +1.6% in the EU in the previous quarter.
Employment growth in the euro area and EU
The number of employed persons increased by 0.2% in both the euro area and the EU in the fourth quarter of 2025, compared with the previous quarter. In the third quarter of 2025, employment had increased by 0.2% in the euro area and by 0.1% in the EU.
According to an estimation of annual growth for 2025, based on quarterly data, employment increased by 0.7% in the euro area and by 0.5% in the EU.
Compared with the same quarter of the previous year, employment increased by 0.6% in the euro area and by 0.7% in the EU in the fourth quarter of 2025, after +0.6% in the euro area and +0.5% in the EU in the third quarter of 2025.
These data provide a picture of labour input consistent with the output and income measures of national accounts.
Tables
Growth rates of employment in persons |
||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Percentage change compared with the previous quarter (based on seasonally adjusted data) |
Percentage change compared with the same quarter of the previous year (based on unadjusted data) |
|||||||
2025Q1 |
2025Q2 |
2025Q3 |
2025Q4 |
2025Q1 |
2025Q2 |
2025Q3 |
2025Q4 |
|
Euro area 20 |
0.2 |
0.1 |
0.2 |
0.2 |
0.8 |
0.7 |
0.6 |
0.6 |
Euro area 21 |
0.2 |
0.1 |
0.2 |
0.2 |
0.8 |
0.7 |
0.6 |
0.7 |
EU |
0.1 |
0.1 |
0.1 |
0.2 |
0.4 |
0.5 |
0.5 |
0.7 |
Source datasets: tec00108 (quarterly change), teina305 (annual change) and tec00109 (levels)
|
||||||||
Growth rates of GDP in volume (based on seasonally adjusted* data) |
||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Percentage change compared with the previous quarter |
Percentage change compared with the same quarter of the previous year |
|||||||
2025Q1 |
2025Q2 |
2025Q3 |
2025Q4 |
2025Q1 |
2025Q2 |
2025Q3 |
2025Q4 |
|
Euro area 20 |
0.6 |
0.1 |
0.3 |
0.3 |
1.6 |
1.5 |
1.4 |
1.3 |
Euro area 21 |
0.6 |
0.2 |
0.3 |
0.3 |
1.6 |
1.6 |
1.4 |
1.3 |
EU |
0.5 |
0.3 |
0.4 |
0.3 |
1.7 |
1.7 |
1.6 |
1.5 |
Belgium |
0.4 |
0.2 |
0.3 |
0.2 |
0.9 |
1.0 |
1.0 |
1.1 |
Bulgaria |
0.6 |
0.9 |
0.7 |
0.8 |
3.5 |
3.4 |
3.1 |
2.9 |
Czechia |
0.7 |
0.5 |
0.8 |
0.5 |
2.4 |
2.6 |
2.8 |
2.4 |
Denmark |
-1.1 |
1.3 |
2.2 |
: |
2.6 |
2.0 |
4.0 |
: |
Germany |
0.4 |
-0.2 |
0.0 |
0.3 |
0.3 |
0.4 |
0.3 |
0.4 |
Estonia |
0.2 |
0.6 |
0.2 |
0.0 |
-0.3 |
0.5 |
0.9 |
1.0 |
Ireland*** |
7.4 |
0.3 |
-0.3 |
-0.6 |
18.3 |
18.1 |
10.9 |
6.7 |
Greece |
0.3 |
0.4 |
0.6 |
: |
2.4 |
1.6 |
2.0 |
: |
Spain |
0.5 |
0.7 |
0.6 |
0.8 |
3.0 |
2.8 |
2.7 |
2.6 |
France |
0.1 |
0.3 |
0.5 |
0.2 |
0.7 |
0.8 |
0.9 |
1.1 |
Croatia |
0.4 |
0.9 |
0.3 |
: |
3.5 |
3.3 |
2.6 |
: |
Italy |
0.3 |
0.0 |
0.2 |
0.3 |
0.7 |
0.5 |
0.6 |
0.8 |
Cyprus |
1.3 |
0.8 |
0.9 |
1.4 |
3.3 |
3.6 |
3.6 |
4.5 |
Latvia |
0.5 |
0.3 |
0.6 |
: |
1.6 |
1.5 |
1.8 |
: |
Lithuania |
0.3 |
0.6 |
-0.1 |
1.7 |
3.0 |
3.2 |
2.1 |
2.5 |
Luxembourg |
0.3 |
0.8 |
1.1 |
: |
-2.6 |
-0.7 |
2.7 |
: |
Hungary |
-0.2 |
0.5 |
0.0 |
0.2 |
-0.3 |
0.3 |
0.7 |
0.5 |
Malta |
0.2 |
0.7 |
0.6 |
: |
4.6 |
2.4 |
2.7 |
: |
Netherlands** |
0.3 |
0.3 |
0.5 |
0.5 |
2.2 |
1.7 |
1.8 |
1.8 |
Austria |
0.2 |
0.0 |
0.4 |
0.2 |
0.3 |
0.5 |
1.0 |
0.7 |
Poland |
0.7 |
0.9 |
0.9 |
1.0 |
3.7 |
3.0 |
4.0 |
3.6 |
Portugal |
-0.3 |
0.7 |
0.7 |
0.8 |
1.7 |
1.8 |
2.3 |
1.9 |
Romania |
-0.6 |
1.0 |
-0.1 |
-1.9 |
0.6 |
2.1 |
1.4 |
-1.6 |
Slovenia |
-0.6 |
0.9 |
0.8 |
: |
-0.5 |
0.9 |
1.6 |
: |
Slovakia |
0.1 |
0.2 |
0.3 |
0.2 |
0.8 |
0.7 |
0.9 |
0.8 |
Finland** |
0.0 |
-0.3 |
-0.3 |
0.6 |
1.1 |
0.2 |
-0.6 |
0.0 |
Sweden** |
-0.2 |
0.7 |
0.9 |
0.2 |
0.6 |
1.9 |
2.6 |
1.8 |
Iceland |
3.0 |
-0.4 |
-0.2 |
: |
2.2 |
-0.3 |
0.2 |
: |
Norway |
0.5 |
1.2 |
1.1 |
: |
0.3 |
0.3 |
2.2 |
: |
Switzerland |
0.7 |
0.2 |
-0.5 |
: |
2.3 |
1.5 |
0.5 |
: |
United States |
-0.2 |
0.9 |
1.1 |
: |
2.0 |
2.1 |
2.3 |
: |
: Data not available * Growth rates to the previous quarter and to the same quarter of the previous year presented in this table are both based on seasonally and calendar adjusted figures, except where indicated. Unadjusted data are not available for all Member States which are included in GDP flash estimates. ** Percentage change compared with the same quarter of the previous year calculated from calendar adjusted data. *** Irish GDP flash estimate is categorised as a CSO Frontier Series Output. Particular care must be taken when interpreting the statistics as it may use new methods which are under development and/or data sources which may be incomplete. Source datasets: namq_10_gdp and naidq_10_gdp (for United States data)
|
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Notes for users
Revisions
The reliability of GDP and employment flash estimates was tested by dedicated working groups and revisions of subsequent estimates are continuously monitored. Further information can be found on Eurostat website.
With these flash estimates, euro area and EU employment and GDP figures for earlier quarters are not revised.
The flash GDP estimates of the fourth quarter 2025 are based on Member States’ data covering 98% of the euro area and 99% of the EU GDP, while flash employment estimates are based on Member States’ data covering 95% of the euro area and 92% of the EU total employment.
A preliminary flash estimate of GDP growth was published in the News Release issued on 30 January 2026. This was based on GDP estimates for 19 Member States.
The euro area and EU estimates for the last quarter were revised as presented in the following table:
Growth rates Estimates |
To the previous quarter (Q/Q-1) |
To the previous year (Q/Q-4) |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Previous |
Current |
Previous |
Current |
|
GDP euro area 20 |
0.3 |
0.3 |
1.3 |
1.3 |
GDP euro area 21 |
0.3 |
0.3 |
1.3 |
1.3 |
GDP EU |
0.3 |
0.3 |
1.4 |
1.5 |
All figures presented in this release may be revised with Eurostat’s regular estimates of GDP and main aggregates (including employment) scheduled for 6 March 2026 and 20 April 2026.
Release schedule
Comprehensive estimates of European main aggregates (including GDP and employment) are based on countries regular transmissions and published around 65 and 110 days after the end of each quarter. To improve the timeliness of key indicators, Eurostat also publishes flash estimates for GDP (after around 30 and 45 days) and employment (after around 45 days). Their compilation is based on estimates provided by EU Member States on a voluntary basis.
This news release presents flash estimates for euro area and EU GDP and employment growth after around 45 days.
Methods and definitions
European quarterly national accounts are compiled in accordance with the European System of Accounts 2010 (ESA 2010). They include key policy indicators of GDP and employment.
Gross domestic product (GDP) at market prices measures the production activity of resident production units. Growth rates are based on chain-linked volumes.
Employment covers employees and self-employed working in resident production units (domestic concept). While employment flash estimates are limited to total employment in persons, regular estimates also cover hours worked and industry breakdowns.
The method used for compilation of European GDP and employment estimates is the same as for previous releases.
The first estimation of annual growth for 2025 is derived by dividing the sum of the four quarters of 2025 by the sum of the four quarters of 2024. The quarterly values are expressed in millions of euro (chain-linked volumes) and include a correction for seasonal and calendar effects. The first regular estimates for annual growth in 2025 will be published on 6 March 2026.
Geographical information
Up to 31 December 2025, the euro area included Belgium, Germany, Estonia, Ireland, Greece, Spain, France, Croatia, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Austria, Portugal, Slovenia, Slovakia and Finland (EA20). From 1 January 2026, the euro area also includes Bulgaria (EA21).
The aggregate data series commented on in this Euro indicator release refer to the official composition of the euro area in the most recent month for which data are available. Thus, Euro indicator releases with data for months up to December 2025 comment on EA20 series, while releases with data for January 2026 onwards will comment on EA21 series.
European Union: Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Ireland, Greece, Spain, France, Croatia, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Hungary, Malta, the Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Finland and Sweden (EU27).
For more information
Get in touch
Further information on data
E-mail: estat-gdp-query@ec.europa.eu
Jenny RUNESSON (Employment)
Julio Cesar CABECA (GDP)