In the third quarter of 2012, France's gross domestic product (GDP) increased by 0.2 percent quarter on quarter after a 0.1 percent decrease quarter on quarter in the previous quarter, according to the detailed statistics released by France's National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE).
During the third quarter, in France household consumption expenditure recovered marginally, rising 0.3 percent quarter on quarter, after a 0.2 percent quarter-on-quarter decrease in Q2. Overall, total domestic demand (excluding changes in inventories) contributed positively to GDP growth, with a 0.2 percentage point quarter-on-quarter increase in Q3 demand growth, after a 0.1 percentage point growth rate increase in Q2.
Meanwhile, France's import value fell 0.6 percent in the third quarter amid repercussions of a dynamic second quarter (+1.6 percent), while the export value rose by 0.5 percent quarter on quarter in Q3, after a 0.3 percent quarter-on-quarter increase recorded in the previous quarter. Consequently, the foreign trade balance contributed positively to GDP growth with 0.3 percentage point quarter-on-quarter growth in Q3 after a decrease of 0.4 percentage points recorded in the previous quarter.
In Q3, total production in goods and services increased after five quarters of near stagnation. Production in manufactured goods rose by one percent quarter on quarter, after a decrease of one percent in Q2, particularly in transport equipment (3.2 percent after a decrease of 3.2 percent in the previous quarter). However, production in construction slowed down with a rise of 0.1 percent quarter on quarter in Q3, after 0.5 percent of increase seen in Q2.