German economy grows 0.7 pct in 2012 - stats office
WIESBADEN, Germany, Jan 15 (Reuters) - Germany's gross domestic product (GDP) growth drastically slowed to 0.7 percent last year, preliminary data showed on Tuesday, underscoring that Europe's largest economy may resist but not altogether escape the impact of the region's debt crisis.
The figure from the Federal Statistics Office was slightly below expectations in a Reuters poll of 30 economists for a growth rate of 0.8 percent. In 2011, the economy grew 3.0 percent after expanding 4.2 percent in 2010, the fastest since reunification.
Germany's budget tipped for the first time since 2007 back into positive territory, registering a 0.1 percent surplus.
(Reporting By Eva Kuehnen and Sakari Suoninen)
WIESBADEN, Germany, Jan 15- Germany's gross domestic product growth drastically slowed to 0.7 percent last year, preliminary data showed on Tuesday, underscoring that Europe's largest economy may resist but not altogether escape the impact of the region's debt crisis.