German economy skirts recession, helped by construction and exports

The German economy skirted a recession at the start of the year, growing more than expected thanks to the construction sector and exports, preliminary data showed on Tuesday.

The economy grew slightly in the first quarter, with gross domestic product rising 0.2 per cent on the previous three-month period in adjusted terms.

Analysts polled by Reuters had forecast a 0.1 per cent increase.

The higher than expected figure does not change the view of shared by economists that structural...