Eurozone sees highest GDP growth since 2025

The eurozone economy grew by 0.4% during the second quarter of 2026. This figure marks the strongest quarterly expansion for the currency bloc since early 2025. Eurostat released these preliminary estimates on July 30, indicating that the result beat the expectations of economists who had predicted a more modest 0.2% increase.

Economic performance remained uneven across the 21 member states that use the euro. Ireland posted the highest growth at 3.9%, though experts note these figures are often skewed by the presence of large multinational corporations. Lithuania followed with a 1.7% increase. At the other end of the spectrum, Austria and Belgium saw no growth during this three-month period.

Major economies such as Germany, France, and Italy reported 0.2% growth. Spain maintained its status as a strong performer within the group, recording a 0.7% increase. This data comes despite ongoing economic headwinds caused by the conflict between the United States and Iran.

On a year-over-year basis, seasonally adjusted GDP increased by 1.0% across the euro area and 1.2% across the entire European Union. These numbers signal a period of steady if slow movement for European markets as they navigate current geopolitical instability and shifts in global trade.