Brussels, 04/12/2009 (Agence Europe) - In the third quarter of the current year, eurozone GDP grew by 0.4% and that of the EU27 by 0.3% compared to the previous quarter, during which the growth rates stood at -0.2% and -0.3% respectively. Compared to the third quarter of 2008, GDP in the eurozone fell by 4.1% and that of the EU27 by 4.3%, after -4.8% and -5.0% respectively in the previous quarter.
According to data published on Thursday 2 December by Eurostat, household final consumption expenditure fell by 0.2% in both the euro zone and in the EU27 (after 0.0% and -0.1% respectively in the previous quarter). Investments dropped by 0.4% in the eurozone and by 0.5% in the EU27 (after -1.7% and -2.5%). Exports rose by 2.9% in the eurozone and by 2.4% in the EU27 (after -1.3% and -1.4%), whereas imports grew by 2.6% and 2.4% (after levels of -2.9% in both those). By way of comparison, the GDP of the United States rose by 0.7% in the third quarter of 2009, following -0.2% in the second quarter, and that of Japan was up by 1.2%, after 0.7% in the previous quarter. In comparison to the third quarter of 2008, the American GDP fell by 2.5% (after -3.8% previous quarter) and that of Japan by 4.4% (after -7.1%). (A.B./transl.fl)