The Maltese economy continued to perform at a sustained pace last year, registering a growth of four per cent, almost 1.5 percentage points more than the average in the euro area.

GDP growth figures for the fourth quarter of last year, published yesterday by Eurostat, showed that Malta's economy continued to register a healthy cycle with growth of 4.3 per cent in the last three months of the year.

The average growth in the eurozone in the same quarter reached 2.2 per cent and was slightly higher in the EU27 at 2.6 per cent.

Eurostat said that in the fourth quarter of last year, household final consumption expenditure dropped by 0.1 per cent in the euro area and increased by 0.1 per cent in the EU27.

Investment rose by 0.8 per cent in the euro area and by 1.2 per cent in the EU27 while exports rose by 0.6 per cent in the euro area and by 0.9 per cent in the EU27. Imports decreased by 0.3 per cent in the euro area and by 0.1 per cent in the EU27.