In the third quarter of 2007 and among the Member States for which seasonally adjusted GDP data are available, Lithuania (+5.2%) recorded the highest growth rate compared with the previous quarter, followed by Latvia (+2.8%) and Slovakia (+2.5%).
Growth in foreign trade and investment
In the third quarter of 2007, household2 final consumption expenditure increased by 0.5% in the euro area and by 0.7% in the EU27 (after +0.6% in both zones in the previous quarter). Investment increased by 1.2% in the euro area and by 1.5% in the EU27 (after -0.1% and 0.0%). Exports rose by 2.2% both in the euro area and in the EU27 (after +0.9% and +0.7%). Imports increased by 2.6% in the euro area and by 3.0% in the EU27 (after +0.3% and +0.2%).
Among the Member States for which seasonally adjusted expenditure data are available, growth rates of household final consumption ranged from -1.7% in Estonia to +3.0% in Latvia. Growth of gross fixed capital formation varied between -5.2% in Malta and +6.0% in the Netherlands. Exports grew most strongly in Lithuania (+7.4%) while Estonia (-5.0%) recorded the largest decrease. Imports rose the most in Malta (+9.4%) while they fell the most in Estonia (-2.2%).
US GDP up by 1.2%, Japanese GDP up by 0.4%
Among the main partners of the EU, GDP grew by 1.2% in the US in the third quarter of 2007 (after +0.9% in the previous quarter). In Japan GDP increased by 0.4% in the third quarter of 2007 (-0.5% in the previous quarter).
Compared with the third quarter of 2006, GDP rose by 2.8% in the US (+1.9% in the previous quarter) and by 2.0% in Japan (+1.6% in the previous quarter).
