Services output in the euro area increased by 0.2%

According to Eurostat, EU services output rose by 0.3% in May 2025 and by 0.2% in the euro area compared with April. This partially offsets the 0.3% decline a month earlier. In annual terms, the figures look more robust: +2.1% in the euro area and +1.7% in the EU.

Growth was mainly driven by information and communication technology (+1.2% in both the EU and the euro area), real estate activities (+1.4% in the EU) and administrative services (+0.4%). Transport & Logistics (-1.3% in the EU) and Hotels & Restaurants (-0.2%) showed the opposite trend.

On a year-on-year basis, the most impressive growth rates were recorded in the ICT sector - +5.0% in the EU and +5.6% in the euro area - as well as in real estate and tourism (around +2%). However, transport continues to show a steady decline: -1.4% in the EU and -0.1% in the euro area compared to May 2024.

At the level of individual countries, the leaders of growth compared to April were Denmark (+2.8%), Luxembourg (+2.0%) and Poland (+1.8%). Slovakia (-1.8%), Croatia (-1.3%) and Slovenia (-1.0%) showed the largest declines.

In annual terms, the picture is even brighter: Greece added +12.9%, Lithuania - +8.9%, Estonia - +7.6%. At the same time, Romania lost 11.4% and Denmark lost 10%.

This variation points to structural differences among member economies and their dependence on certain sub-sectors of services. Fast-growing sectors tend to be associated with digital technology and professional services, while traditional sectors such as transport and tourism remain vulnerable to fluctuations in demand and seasonality.