2018.02.1404:42:00UTC+00Dutch Q4 GDP Growth Improves More Than Expected

Dutch economic growth accelerated at a faster-than-expected pace in the three months ended December, preliminary figures from the Central Bureau of Statistics showed Wednesday.

Gross domestic product advanced 0.8 percent sequentially in the fourth quarter, faster than the 0.4 percent rise in third quarter. Economists had expected the growth to improve to 0.7 percent.

During the second quarter of 2017, the rate of expansion was 1.5 percent.

The growth in the fourth quarter was mainly driven by exports.

On a yearly basis, economic growth slowed to 2.9 percent in the December quarter from 3.0 percent in the September quarter.

Compared with 2016, GDP advanced 3.1 percent in 2017, which was the highest growth in ten years.