2026.04.3005:30:00UTC+00French Growth Stalls: Q1 2026 GDP Flat After Late-2025 Expansion

France’s economic momentum stalled at the start of 2026, with gross domestic product (GDP) growth falling to 0.0% quarter-over-quarter in the first quarter of 2026, down from 0.2% in the fourth quarter of 2025. The latest data, updated on 30 April 2026, signal a pause in the modest expansion that marked the end of last year.

The comparison is made on a quarter-over-quarter basis, meaning the current figure measures the change in output in the first quarter of 2026 versus the fourth quarter of 2025, while the previous reading reflected the change in the fourth quarter of 2025 versus the third quarter of that year. The shift from 0.2% to flat growth suggests that the French economy has lost short-term momentum, raising questions over the durability of its recovery path for the rest of 2026.