AFP, Helsinki :
Finland’s economy grew at the start of the year, official data showed Friday, raising hopes the Nordic eurozone country has firmly put a three-year recession behind it.
After last year’s timid return to growth, Finland’s economy strengthened by 0.4 percent in the first three months of this year compared to the last quarter of 2015, the national statistics institute said in its first estimate.
Gross domestic product increased by 1.0 percent in the quarter compared to to the previous year, it said.
Danske Bank economists said on Twitter that the figures indicated the “frost” was “melting”.
Detailed GDP figures are due on June 7.
Finland emerged from a three-year recession last year when it posted fragile growth of 0.5 percent.
However its public debt climbed to 63.1 percent of GDP in 2015, exceeding for the first time the eurozone limit of 60 percent.
Finland’s pro-austerity government that took office a year ago has been trying different approaches to heat up economic growth.
On Thursday it announced a partial privatisation plan in a bid to increase its budgetary wiggle room.
Inflation, meanwhile, picked up in April, standing at 0.3 percent from zero percent in March, figures also released Friday showed.
Finland’s economy grew at the start of the year, official data showed Friday, raising hopes the Nordic eurozone country has firmly put a three-year recession behind it.
After last year’s timid return to growth, Finland’s economy strengthened by 0.4 percent in the first three months of this year compared to the last quarter of 2015, the national statistics institute said in its first estimate.
Gross domestic product increased by 1.0 percent in the quarter compared to to the previous year, it said.
Danske Bank economists said on Twitter that the figures indicated the “frost” was “melting”.
Detailed GDP figures are due on June 7.
Finland emerged from a three-year recession last year when it posted fragile growth of 0.5 percent.
However its public debt climbed to 63.1 percent of GDP in 2015, exceeding for the first time the eurozone limit of 60 percent.
Finland’s pro-austerity government that took office a year ago has been trying different approaches to heat up economic growth.
On Thursday it announced a partial privatisation plan in a bid to increase its budgetary wiggle room.
Inflation, meanwhile, picked up in April, standing at 0.3 percent from zero percent in March, figures also released Friday showed.
