IMPROVING LIVES THROUGH DATA ECOSYSTEMS

The seasonally adjusted real GDP at market prices for the third quarter of 2005 increased by an annualised rate of 4,2% compared with the second quarter of 2005, following real annualised economic growth rates of 4,6 (revised from 3,5) and 5,4 (revised from 4,5) per cent in the first and second quarters of 2005 compared with the fourth quarter of 2004 and the first quarter of 2005 respectively.

The increase was mainly due to contributions of real value added by the manufacturing industry; wholesale, retail and motor trade, hotels and restaurants industry; finance, real estate and business services industry (each industry contributing 0,9 of a percentage point), transport, storage and communication industry (0,6 of a percentage point) and construction industry (0,3 of a percentage point). The contributions to the increase in real GDP by other industries were lower than the aforementioned.

The seasonally adjusted real annualised value added by the non-agricultural industries increased by 4,2% during the third quarter of 2005, following annualised increases of 4,7% and 5,1% during the first and second quarters of 2005 respectively.

The unadjusted real GDP at market prices for the first nine months of 2005 increased by 5,1% compared with the first nine months of 2004.

According to the latest preliminary indicators, independent annual real estimates of GDP for 2004 increased by 4,5% compared to 2003.

The main contributors to the increase in economic activity in 2004 were the finance, real estate and business services industry (1,4 percentage points); the wholesale and retail trade, hotels and restaurants and manufacturing industries (0,8 of a percentage point each); the transport, storage and communication industry (0,4 of a percentage point) and the construction industry (0,3 of a percentage point).