Strong household earnings drive Germany's growth in first quarter

Stronger household spending and a pick-up in construction were the primary drivers behind Germany's growth rebound in the first quarter, detailed data showed on Thursday, confirming a preliminary reading of a 0.4% expansion on the quarter.

The Federal Statistics Office said private consumption rose 1.2%, the biggest increase since 2011, contributing 0.6 percentage points to the expansion. Investments in construction increased 1.9% on the quarter which resulted in a contribution to the overall growth of 0.2 percentage points.