|
The Federal Statistics Office confirmed an
earlier flash estimate showing a 0.1 percent rise in
seasonally-adjusted gross domestic product (GDP).
Private consumption rose 0.7 percent quarter-on-quarter, the
biggest increase in three years, and public investment rose 0.6
percent. Overall consumption contributed 0.5 percentage points
to growth, while trade provided modest support.
On the downside, investment in equipment tumbled by 2.3 percent,
while gross capital and construction investment also fell.
Overall, investment subtracted 0.7 percentage points from GDP
growth in the quarter.
But in a positive sign for the fourth quarter, inventories were
a major drag on growth, suggesting a rebound in the final months
of the year.
"We are not in a recession," Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble
told parliament after the data was released.
"We don't have quite such good economic growth as we did before
but we are performing close to our economic capacity. We can't
allow thoughtless chitchat about a 'crisis' to encourage one."
He defended Chancellor Angela Merkel's "grand coalition"
government against accusations that it is not investing heavily
enough in infrastructure, spending that critics say is vital to
help spur growth in Europe.
After the German economy contracted by 0.1 percent in the second
quarter, some economists had feared it would sink into a
technical recession with another drop in the third, weighed down
by weakness in key euro zone trading partners such as France, a
slowdown in China and uncertainty from the Ukraine crisis.
But Germany managed to eke out some growth and now appears to be
regaining momentum. On Monday, a closely-watched measure of
business sentiment from the Munich-based Ifo think tank
rebounded strongly, helped by a drop in the euro to two-year
lows against the dollar and by a decline in oil prices.
Low unemployment, rising wages and rock-bottom interest rates
are also providing support.
Still, Germany no longer looks like the "growth locomotive" that
defied the euro zone crisis to grow strongly in 2010 and 2011.
(Writing by Noah Barkin; Additional reporting by Stephen Brown
and Erik Kirschbaum; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
[© 2014 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2014 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
|
