The seasonally adjusted gross domestic product (GDP) in the EU and the euro area increased by 0.4 percent and 0.3 percent respectively during the fourth quarter of 2014 when compared with the previous quarter, Eurostat said Friday.

By contrast, during the third quarter of 2014, GDP grew by 0.3 percent in the 28-member EU and 0.2 percent in the 18-member euro area, according to the statistics office of the EU.

Compared with the same quarter of the previous year, seasonally adjusted GDP rose by 0.9 percent in the euro area and by 1.3 percent in the EU in the fourth quarter of 2014.

The statistical data is based on Eurostat's second estimate for the quarterly period.