Japan keeps ahead of China as world's second biggest economy

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Real gross domestic product grew at an annual pace of 4.6 per cent between October and December, the government said today. Economists had expected growth of 3.4 per cent.

The results indicate that Japan continued to benefit from government stimulus measures around the world, which have bolstered global trade and persuaded Japanese households to keep up their spending.

GDP has climbed for three consecutive quarters. The figure corresponds to quarterly growth of 1.1 per cent.

Government officials said they were encouraged by the numbers, particularly since it was the first time in seven quarters that domestic demand pushed GDP higher. Consumer spending, which accounts for about 60 per cent of the economy, rose 0.7 per cent from the previous quarter as shoppers took advantage of incentives on cars and home appliances.

Companies are also gaining confidence and starting to invest in factories and equipment.

Japan may now be strong enough to avoid falling back into recession, said Cabinet official Keisuke Tsumura.