By Hajer M'tiri

PARIS

France’s economy in 2017 posted annual growth of 2.0 percent, the highest in six years, the country’s national statistics agency said on Monday.

GDP growth reached 0.7 percent in the fourth quarter of 2017, slightly higher than the 0.6 percent forecasted initially, according to a statement by the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE).

The 2017 growth marks a sharp change after three years of slow growth, where GDP grew only 1.0 percent in 2014 and 2015 and 1.1 percent in 2016.

The eurozone’s second-biggest economy ended last year on strong footing, with its public deficit dropping to 2.6 percent of GDP in 2017, the first time it has fallen below the European Union's 3 percent limit in a decade.