Among the Member States for which data are available, growth rates of household final consumption ranged from -1.7 percent in the Netherlands3 to +3.3 percent in Estonia. Growth of gross fixed capital formation varied between -5.9 percent in Cyprus and +5.2 percent in Belgium. Exports grew most strongly in Finland (+9.2 percent) while Greece (-8.5 percent) recorded the strongest decrease. Imports rose the most in Lithuania (+8.0 percent) while they fell the most in Cyprus (-5.2 percent).
US GDP up by 1.4 percent, Japanese GDP up by 0.8 percent:
Among the main partners of the EU, GDP grew by 1.4 percent in the US in the first quarter of 2006 (after +0.4 percent in the fourth quarter of 2005). In Japan GDP grew by 0.8 percent in the first quarter of 2006 (+1.1 percent in the previous quarter).
Compared to the first quarter of 2005, GDP rose by 3.7 percent in the US (+3.2 percent in the previous quarter) and by 3.5 percent in Japan (+4.0 percent in the previous quarter).
marketing@alchempro.com
