The Eurozone economic growth slowed in the first quarter of 2018 as expected, while economists said some temporary factors help explain the slowdown and surveys suggested that growth will pick back up.

Seasonally adjusted Gross Domestic Product(GDP) of the euro area rose by 0.4 percent in the first quarter, slower than the growth rate of 0.7 percent in the previous month, according to a preliminary flash estimate published on Wednesday by Eurostat, the European Union's statistical agency.