In the fourth quarter of 2012, France's gross domestic product (GDP) fell 0.3 percent quarter on quarter after a 0.1 percent quarter-on-quarter increase in the third quarter, according to the detailed statistics released by France's National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE). In the whole of 2012, France's GDP was stable year on year, after an increase of 1.7 percent year on year in 2011.
During the fourth quarter, in France household consumption expenditure increased by 0.3 percent quarter on quarter, after a 0.2 percent quarter-on-quarter increase in Q3. Meanwhile, France's foreign trade balance again contributed positively to GDP growth in Q4 (+0.1 point after +0.3 point in the previous quarter).
In the fourth quarter of 2012 compared to the previous quarter, production in manufactured goods fell by 2.3 percent, after a rise of 0.9 percent in the third quarter. Besides, production in construction declined 0.8 percent after remaining stable in the third quarter. Over the full year, total production remained sluggish with a 0.1 percent year-on-year rise, after a rise of 1.9 percent in 2011.