French economy flat in first quarter: Data

PARIS: France's economy failed to grow in the first quarter of 2014, according to data released on Thursday by the Insee national statistics institute.

The figure was below the meagre 0.1 per cent growth that Insee had forecast for eurozone's second-largest economy between January and March.

Household consumption, the traditional motor of growth in France, fell by 0.5 per cent in the first quarter, compared with a 0.2 per cent rise in the last quarter of 2013.

GDP in 2013 had risen by 0.4 per cent, Insee said, revising its earlier estimate of 0.3 per cent.