HELSINKI: Finland’s economy stabilized in the three months ended December, after expanding in the previous quarter, preliminary figures from Statistics Finland showed today (Wednesday, March 01, 2017).
On a seasonally adjusted basis, gross domestic product showed no variations in the fourth quarter from the previous quarter.
In the third quarter, the economy had grown 0.6 percent, which was revised up from a 0.4 percent rise reported earlier.
On the expenditure side, private consumption edged up 0.1 percent over the quarter and public consumption expenditure climbed by 0.6 percent.
Gross fixed capital formation registered an increase of 3.0 percent. The volume of exports grew by 0.6 percent and that of imports by 1.9 percent in October to December from the previous quarter.
On an annual basis, the economic growth eased to 1.3 percent in the December quarter from 1.6 percent in the September quarter.
The volume of GDP advanced 1.6 percent in the whole year 2016 from a year before, the agency reported.
In 2016, GDP increased as a result of growing consumption and investments. Among industries, construction and business activities in particular grew strongly.