Australia’s economy grew more than expected, picking up pace in the second half of the year as exports rose.
The economy grew 2.5% in the three months to September from a year ago, compared with 1.9% in the previous quarter and above forecasts of 2.4%.
It grew 0.9% from the previous quarter, also beating expectations of 0.8%.
Despite a slowdown in its biggest trading partner, China, and falling commodity prices, exports rose, giving the economy a boost.
Exports jumped 4.6% in the quarter, adding one percentage point to gross domestic product (GDP) growth.
This was during a period when the Australian dollar dropped 9% on record low interest rates in the country as the central bank tried to boost economic activity.
The Australian dollar surged to its highest level in almost seven weeks to $0.7345 after the growth figures were released.
