Eurostat, the EU's statistical office, has published revised figures for Malta's 2007 third quarter seasonally adjusted GDP growth rate.

The new figures show a revised annual growth rate of 4.35% a far cry from a figure of 0.11% that was initially given. The new figure is more in line with the unadjusted growth rate of 4.2% for the same quarter, and with expectations based on a range of economic indicators. These include a strong performance in the tourist industry, a low level of unemployment not seen in years and a narrowing trade gap.

The original figure had raised eyebrows among most economists, especially as Malta's economy had shown relatively strong growth in the previous two quarters.

"It would have taken an economic collapse for GDP growth to drop from over 4% in the second quarter to 0.1%," one economist said.

During the same revision Malta's growth figures for the first two quarters of 2007 were reduced, bringing them closer to the unadjusted figures produced by the NSO.