ROME, July 30 (Reuters) - The Italian economy grew by 0.2% in the second quarter of this year from the previous three months, preliminary data showed on Thursday, a slightly stronger reading than expected.
On a year-on-year basis, gross domestic product in the euro zone's third largest economy was up 1.0% between April and June, national statistics bureau ISTAT said, more significantly above expectations.
A Reuters survey of 26 economists had forecast a 0.1% rise quarter-on-quarter and a 0.7% increase
year-on-year.
So-called "acquired growth" stood at 0.8% at the end of the second quarter, meaning that even if GDP is flat in each of the remaining two quarters of 2026, full-year growth will be up 0.8% from 2025.
Giorgia Meloni's government in April cut its economic growth outlook to 0.6% for this year and next, reflecting surging energy prices and turmoil in the Middle East, from previous targets of 0.7% and 0.8% respectively.
In 2025 Italy grew by 0.5%.
The government forecast a 0.8% growth rate for 2028, which would mark six consecutive years of sub-1% growth.
ISTAT gave the following details on Italian GDP for the second quarter of 2026 and the previous two quarters:
Q2 2026 Q1 2026 Q4 2025
Q/Q (pct change) 0.2p 0.3 0.3
Y/Y (pct change) 0.8p 0.8 0.8
p=preliminary
(Reporting by Antonella Cinelli, editing by Gavin Jones)
