In the three months to June, household consumption rose 0.2 percent, slightly faster than a 0.1 percent increase in the previous quarter. Spending went up particularly for health care, housing and energy as well as restaurants and hotels. Meantime, consumption fell for: clothing and footwear as well as furniture and interior equipment.
Government spending increased by 0.3 percent, following a 0.2 percent rise in the prior quarter.
Investment in equipment and software gained 0.3 percent, much slower than a 1.4 percent increase in Q1 while investment in construction expanded by 0.8 percent, after growing 0.2 percent in the previous period.
Exports of goods rose 0.5 percent, slowing sharply from a 5.7 percent rise in the previous quarter, mainly supported by sales of precision instruments, watches and jewelry. On the other hand, exports of services declined by 0.3 percent, after a 9.3 percent drop in the March quarter. Meanwhile, imports jumped by 5.5 percent, swinging from a 0.8 percent fall in the previous period. Purchases increased mainly for chemical and pharmaceutical products.
Year-on-year, the economy also grew by 0.3 percent, slowing sharply from a downwardly revised 0.6 percent expansion in the prior quarter and missing estimates of a 1.1 percent growth. It was the weakest yearly figure since the December quarter 2009.