French economy shrank by 0.1% in first quarter

France's economy shrank in the first quarter, final data from statistics office INSEE showed on Friday, missing the preliminary reading of 0.0% for the euro zone's second-largest economy.

The statistic office reported a result of -0.1%, below the average forecast of 0.0% in a Reuters poll of 19 economists.

Exports dropped sharply to -3.5% after +0.9% in the previous quarter, weighed by a decline in aeronautical exports, the statistics office said.

(Reporting by Dimitri Rhodes in Gdansk, editing by Milla Nissi-Prussak)

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This story was originally published May 29, 2026 at 2:48 AM.