BRUSSELS: Belgium’s economy expanded by 0.3% in the first three months of 2015 compared with the previous quarter, the eighth straight quarter of expansion, the central bank said in its preliminary estimate.
The economy grew by 0.9% in the first quarter compared with the same period a year earlier, the bank said.
Belgium’s output expanded 0.2% in the fourth quarter of 2014 on a quarterly basis and grew 1.0% in the final three months of 2014 compared with the same period a year earlier.
Strong expansion in the industrial sector and solid growth in private sector demand and investment helped the country’s economy to a 1.1% expansion in 2014, the strongest figure in three years.
Earlier Wednesday, the central bank said the annual consumer inflation rate rose in April to 0.29%, the first positive read in the data in six months.
