France's economy grew 0.5% in the final quarter of 2009, the central bank forecast today, revising downward a previous estimate but still showing the pace of economic growth picking up.
The central bank had previously estimated that the economy grew 0.6% in the last three months of 2009 after advancing 0.3% in the July-September quarter as France gradually emerges from a tough recession. The government estimates the economy shrank 2.25% in 2009 as a whole.
France and Germany were among the first European countries to exit recession last summer ahead of Britain and the US.
