Germany Leads Major Economy Growth in 2016

Germany's economy expanded at the fastest pace in five years in 2016, according to data published Thursday, as a weaker euro helped lift exports and domestic demand boosted growth to the strongest level of any advanced nation in the world.

Europe's biggest economy grew 0.4% in the final three months of last year, the country's official statistics office Destatis said Thursday, taking the full year advance to 1.9%, the strongest pace of growth since 2011. Domestic demand added 0.9% to the quarterly reading, Destatis said, while exports grew 1.8% from the same period last year and imports were up 3.1%.