GDP increased by 0.3% in the euro area (EA16) and by 0.2% in the EU27 during the fourth quarter of 2010, compared with the previous quarter, according to flash estimates published by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. In the third quarter of 2010, growth rates were +0.3% in the euro area and +0.5% in the EU27.

Compared with the same quarter of the previous year, seasonally adjusted GDP increased by 2.0% in the euro area and by 2.1% in the EU27 in the fourth quarter of 2010, after +1.9% and +2.2% respectively in the previous quarter.

During the fourth quarter of 2010, US GDP increased by 0.8% compared with the previous quarter (after +0.6% in the third quarter of 2010), and decreased by 0.3% in Japan (after +0.8%). Compared with the same quarter of the previous year US GDP rose by 2.8% (after +3.2% in the previous quarter) and by 2.6% in Japan (after +4.7%).

Over the whole year 2010, GDP increased by 1.7% in both the euro area and the EU27.