There are signs of a slight recovery following the economic downturn in 2002 and 2003. Austria's economic growth in those years was above the average for the countries participating in the euro, not least because of the trade relations it established with the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. In 2004, at 2.4% of GDP in real terms, economic growth in Austria was above the average for the 25 EU Member States. Experts predict a figure of 2.1% for the years 2005 and 2006.