PARIS: The French economy, Europe’s second-biggest, expanded strongly again in the third quarter, powered by a sharp increase in the household spending and the reopening of key sectors from the coronavirus lockdowns, official data showed on Friday.

France’s gross domestic product expanded 3 per cent in the period from July through September, compared with the preceding three months, a sharp acceleration from the growth of 1.3 per cent in the second quarter, the national statistics agency INSEE calculated.

The latest GDP data were “above our expectations,” Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire told AFP, saying the numbers was an “exceptional result”.

The data also beat INSEE’s own expectations, which had been pencilling in growth of 2.7 per cent for the third quarter in its previous forecast in September.

The household spending jumped 5 per cent, as key tourism and leisure sectors reopened, the statisticians said.

Exports were up 2.3 per cent, while imports were more or less stable, falling slightly by 0.1 per cent.