Israel's latest growth figures are disappointing. GDP growth in the first quarter of 2015 was just 2.5% on an annualized basis, reports the Central Bureau of Statistics, well below market expectations of 3.5%. The annual growth forecast of the Bank of Israel is 3.2%.
Growth in the fourth quarter of 2014 was 6.6% as the economy recovered from Operation Protective Edge in the third quarter.
In the first quarter of 2015, business output rose 3.2% compared with 7.7% in the preceding quarter.
Also in the first quarter personal consumption rose 5.5%, but investment in fixed assets fell 5.85 on an annualized basis, after rising 9.2% in the preceding quarter.
Imports rose 7.1% in the first quarter of 2015, after falling 2.2% in the preceding quarter.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on May 17, 2015
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