PARIS: The French economy grew by 0.1 percent in the fourth quarter of 2014, meeting analysts' expectations, preliminary figures from the INSEE national statistics agency showed on Friday.
A Reuter’s poll of 33 analysts had forecast on average 0.1 percent growth in the three months to December from the previous quarter, when growth rose 0.3 percent.
The result, helped by consumer and public spending, meant the euro zone's second-largest economy grew by 0.4 percent over the course of last year, matching the government's estimate for full-year growth. That is the third year in a row of full-year growth of 0.4 percent.
"It's obviously still too weak, but the conditions are ripe to permit a cleaner start of activity in 2015," said Finance Minister Michel Sapin, who added that business leaders were already beginning to increase investment.
The French government of Socialist President Francois Hollande is predicting a 1.0 percent rise in GDP in 2015, hoping to end a period of anaemic growth that has kept investment low and joblessness high.
On Monday, France's central bank predicted first-quarter growth of 0.4 percent, led by a rise in industrial production and a slight improvement in services activity.
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