ECONOMIC OUTLOOK:

The French Economy:

Capital: Paris

Currency: French Franc (FRF)

Population: 59 millions

Main Economic Data
Time (t)	Real GDP Growth (GDP) (%)	Unemployment Rate (U) (%)	Inflation Rate (p) (%)
2001Q2++	0.2	-	-
2001Q3++	0.5	-	-

++ Compared with the previous month/quarter

l French statistics office INSEE said that gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 0.5% from the second quarter. Second quarter growth was revised down to 0.2% from 0.3% previously. This was the strongest rate of GDP growth since the fourth quarter of 2000, when the economy expanded by 0.8%.

l The INSEE data showed that household consumption grew by 1.2% in the third quarter after 0.3% in the second and overall investment recovered to grow 0.1% in the third quarter after a revised drop of 0.3% in the second quarter. However, business investment growth fell by 0.2% for the first time since the first quarter of 1997.

Sources: Bangkok Post