German economy grew by 0.4 per cent last year

The German economy expanded by 0.4 per cent in 2013, dpa quoted
the statistics office as saying Wednesday.
"Obviously, the German economy has been hit by the ongoing recession
in some European countries and slowed as a result of developments in
the global economy," said Roderich Egeler, president of the Federal
Statistics Office.
Strong domestic demand could not compensate for the weak performance
of Germany's trading partners, Egeler said.
The nation's budget deficit stood at 0.1 per cent of gross domestic
product last year.