EU’s GDP growth rate slows down to 1.5 pct in Q4 2018

The gross domestic product (GDP) of the European Union has slowed down during the last quarter of last year to 1.5 percent year-on-year, from 1.8 percent in the third quarter, according to a preliminary flash estimate published by Eurostat.

“Compared with the same quarter of the previous year, seasonally adjusted GDP rose by 1.2% in the euro area and by 1.5% in the EU28 in the fourth quarter of 2018, after +1.6% and +1.8% respectively in the previous quarter,” Eurostat said on Thursday.

In 2018, GDP grew by 1.8 percent in the euro area, the main trading partner of Romania, and 1.9 percent in the EU28.

Seasonally adjusted GDP rose by 0.2 percent in the euro area and by 0.3 percent in the EU28 during the fourth quarter of 2018, compared with the previous quarter.

In the third quarter of 2018, GDP had also grown by 0.2 percent in the euro area and by 0.3 percent in the EU28.