Malta, Czech Republic and Romania have had the highest growth in the European Union in the second quarter of 2015 compared to the same period in 2014, according to a second estimate published by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union on Tuesday.
Thus, during April-June 2015, the most significant advance was recorded by Malta (4.8 percent), Czech Republic (4.4 percent) and Romania (3.7 percent).
GDP increased in all Member States for which data are available for the second quarter of 2015, except France where it remained stable. The highest growth compared with the previous quarter was recorded in Latvia (+1.2 percent), Malta (+1.1 percent), the Czech Republic, Spain and Sweden (all +1 percent), followed by Greece and Poland (both +0.9 percent), Slovakia (+0.8 percent), Estonia, Croatia, Lithuania, Slovenia and the United Kingdom (all +0.7 percent). At the same time, the lowest growth rates were registered in the Netherlands, Austria and Romania (all +0.1 percent).
Seasonally adjusted GDP rose by 0.4 percent in both the euro area (EA19) and the EU28 during the second quarter of 2015, compared with the previous quarter, according to Eurostat data. In the first quarter of 2015, GDP grew by 0.5 percent in both areas.
Compared with the same quarter of the previous year, seasonally adjusted GDP rose by 1.5 percent in the euro area and by 1.9 percent in the EU28 in the second quarter of 2015, after +1.2 percent and +1.7 percent respectively in the previous quarter.
During the second quarter of 2015, GDP in the United States increased by 0.9 percent compared with the previous quarter (after +0.2 percent in the first quarter of 2015). Compared with the same quarter of the previous year, GDP grew by 2.7 percent (after +2.9 percent in the previous quarter).
During the second quarter of 2015, household final consumption expenditure rose by 0.4 percent in both the euro area and the EU28 (after +0.5 percent and +0.6 percent respectively in the previous quarter). Exports rose by 1.6 percent in both the euro area and the EU28 (after +1 percent in both zones). Imports increased by 1 percent in the euro area and by 0.8 percent in the EU28 (after +1.5 percent and +1.6 percent).
Household final consumption expenditure had a positive contribution to GDP growth both in the euro area and the EU28 (+0.2 and +0.3 percentage points).