The INSEE official statistics agency said that consumer spending rose 0.8% in April, following a decline of 0.3% the previous month, which was revised down from -0.1% previously.

Economists polled by Reuters had on average expected an increase of 0.4% with estimates ranging from a flat reading to  1.0% growth.

Spending on manufactured goods rose a more modest 0.2% while spending on energy rose 4.0% as temperature returned to seasonally norms after particularly warm weather the previous two months depressed spending on heating.