The economy in Italy grew surprisingly at the beginning of the year. The gross domestic product (GDP) was 0.1 percent higher in the first quarter than in the previous quarter, as the statistics office Istat announced after a second estimate on Tuesday in Rome. On the other hand, analysts had expected a confirmation of the first survey, which had shown a contraction of 0.2 percent.
Growth at the start of the year was weighed down by private consumption, which fell. On the other hand, corporate investment increased. Foreign trade held back growth as imports grew faster than exports. (dpa)