EU economy closes 2019 with weaker growth rate

ISTANBUL 

The EU's annual gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate was 1.5% in 2019, while it was 2.1% in 2018, the bloc's statistical office's data showed on Tuesday. 

Eurostat said the euro area's GDP growth rate of 1.2% was also weaker in 2019 than the previous year (1.9%).

Meanwhile, the EU27 and eurozone's economies grew by 1.2% and 1% in the last quarter of 2019, versus the same quarter 2018.

The eurozone/euro area or EA19 represents the member states that use the single currency -- the euro -- while the EU27 defines all member countries of the bloc.

Turkey's annual