"Following a prolonged and broad-based stagnation, the EU economy resumed growth in the first quarter of this year. As projected in spring, the expansion continued at a subdued, yet steady, pace throughout the second and third quarters, amidst further abating inflationary pressures. The conditions for a mild acceleration of domestic demand appear in place, despite heightened uncertainty. This Autumn Forecast projects real GDP growth in 2024 at 0.9% in the EU and 0.8% in the euro area. For the EU, this is 0.1 pps. lower with respect to spring, while it is unchanged for the euro area. Growth in the EU is expected to pick up to 1.5% in 2025, as consumption is shifting up a gear and investment is set to rebound from the contraction of 2024. In 2026, economic activity is projected to expand by 1.8%, on the back of continued expansion of demand. Growth in the euro area is set to follow similar dynamics and attain 1.3% in 2025 and 1.6% in 2026. The disinflationary process that started towards end-2022 continued over the summer. Notwithstanding a slight pick-up in October, largely driven by energy prices, headline inflation in the euro area is set to more than halve in 2024, from 5.4% in 2023 to 2.4%, before easing more gradually to 2.1% in 2025 and 1.9% in 2026. In the EU, the disinflation process is set to be even sharper in 2024, with headline inflation falling to 2.6%, from 6.4% in 2023, and to continue easing to 2.4% in 2025 and 2.0% in 2026."

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ISBN (PDF) : 978-92-68-16967-4