Italy posted zero growth in third quarter

(ANSA) – Rome, December 10 – Italy ended a run of eight consecutive quarters of negative growth in the third quarter of this year, when gross domestic product was flat with respect to the previous three months, Istat said Tuesday. The national statistics agency revised its initial estimate of a 0.1% drop in GDP with respect to the second quarter of 2013. Istat also revised its year-on-year GDP figure from -1.9% to -1.8%.

Italy has been in recession since the second half of 2011, the longest downturn in over two decades.