MADRID, 31 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The gross domestic product (GDP) of the euro zone slowed down its rate of expansion between July and September to 0.2% from the 0.8% observed in the second quarter of the year, according to the estimate published by the community statistics office, Eurostat.

This is the weakest growth rate of the euro zone economy since the first quarter of 2021, according to data from the statistical office.

In the European Union as a whole, GDP growth in the third quarter also slowed to 0.2% from 0.7% in the previous three months, its worst reading since the first quarter of 2021.

Thus, compared to the third quarter of last year, the GDP of the euro zone grew by 2.1% and that of the EU by 2.4%.

Among the countries for which data was available, Sweden recorded the highest quarterly growth (0.7%), followed by Italy (0.5%), Portugal and Lithuania (both 0.4%). By contrast, activity contractions were observed in Latvia (-1.7%), as well as in Austria and Belgium (both -0.1%).

In the case of Spain, GDP slowed its rate of expansion in the third quarter to 0.2% from 1.5% in the previous three months. On its side, Germany registered growth of 0.3%, two tenths more than in the second quarter, while France grew by 0.2%, compared to 0.5% in the second quarter.