FRANKFURT—The eurozone eked out growth in the final three months of 2022, managing to avoid a recession even as sky-high energy costs, waning confidence, and rising interest rates took a toll on the economy that is likely to persist into this year.
Gross domestic product across the currency bloc expanded by a tiny 0.1 percent in the fourth quarter, data from Eurostat showed on Tuesday, outperforming expectations in a Reuters poll for a 0.1 percent drop. Compared to a year earlier, growth was 1.9 percent, just beating expectations of 1.8 percent.
Among the biggest eurozone countries, Germany and Italy recorded negative growth rates for the quarter but France and Spain expanded, Eurostat added, based on a flash estimate that is subject to revisions….