Eurozone economy stagnates in Q4, defying market estimates

The euro area's gross domestic product (GDP) in the fourth quarter of 2024 unexpectedly remained stable, according to a flash estimate released on Thursday.

This stagnation marks a slowdown from the 0.4% quarter-on-quarter growth recorded in the third quarter, Eurostat data showed.

Markets had projected a modest 0.1% increase for the October-December period.

Meanwhile, GDP across the EU edged up by 0.1% compared to the previous quarter.

Among member states with available data, Portugal led the growth chart with a 1.5% increase, followed by Lithuania (+0.9%) and Spain (+0.8%). On the flip side, contractions were recorded in Ireland (-1.3%), Germany (-0.2%), and France (-0.1%).

On an annual basis, GDP in the eurozone grew by 0.9%, while the EU registered a growth rate of 1.1% in the final three months of the year.

The eurozone (EA19) comprises member states using the euro as their common currency, whereas the EU27 represents all member countries of the European Union.