MOSCOW, Nov. 13 (Xinhua) -- Russia's gross domestic product (GDP) grew 1.8 percent in the third quarter this year, the country's official statistic service Rosstat said Monday, citing preliminary data.
The figure marked a decline from 2.5 percent in the second quarter and a 0.2-percent drop from the same period last year, but it is still higher that the 0.5-percent growth rate in the first quarter.
The Rosstat estimate is also lower than the forecast of 2.2 percent for the third quarter made by Russian Economy Minister Maxim Oreshkin last month.
Russia's central bank currently puts the country's GDP growth at 1.7-2.2 percent for the full year of 2017, while the Russian Economy Ministry expects it to be 2.1 percent.
Both bodies base their projections on the positive economic dynamics registered in the second quarter this year.
