During the first quarter of 2023, seasonally adjusted GDP increased 0.1% in the euro area and 0.2% in the European Union compared to the previous quarter, according to a flash estimate that the statistical office of the EU (Eurostat) published on Tuesday, 16 May.
GDP had remained stable in the euro area and had decreased 0.1% in the EU during the fourth quarter of 2022.
Among the 22 Member States for which statistics are available, GDP growth was strongest in Poland (3.9%), Portugal (1.6%), and Cyprus (0.8%). In contrast, wealth creation was negative in Lithuania (−3.0%), Ireland (−2.7%), the Netherlands (−0.7%), and Austria (−0.3%). It was nonexistent in Germany, lacklustre in France (0.2%), and moderate in Spain and Italy (0.5%).
In the first quarter—compared to the last quarter of 2022—the number of employed persons increased 0.6% in the euro area and in the EU. During the fourth quarter of 2022, employment had increased 0.3% in both areas. (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)