Gross domestic product (GDP) fell by 0.2 percent in the euro area during the second quarter of 2012 on a quarterly basis, compared with zero growth in the first quarter, the statistical office of the European Union (EU) said Tuesday.

The single-currency area's largest economy Germany saw its GDP grow by 0.3 percent in the second quarter, slower than the 0.5-percent increase in the first quarter but better than forecast, according to a statement of Eurostat.

The economic volume of France, the second largest economy in the eurozone, was unchanged in the quarter, the third consecutive quarter for the country's economy to stagnate, Eurostat figures showed.

Italy's economy shrunk by 0.7 percent from April to June after a 0.8-percent quarter-on-quarter downfall in the first three months this year, while Spain, the eurozone's fourth largest economy, continued its downward trend seen in the previous two quarters to decrease by 0.4 percent.

The Eurostat data showed that the GDP of the 27-nation EU also declined by 0.2 percent in the second quarter, with Britain, the EU's second largest economy, registering a 0.7-percent decrease in its economy.