Germany in recession

Germany has entered a recession after government figures showed that Europe\'s largest economy contracted by 0.5 percent in the third quarter.



This is the second consecutive quarter that the economy has shrunk after a 0.4 percent contraction in the second quarter.



BBC reports say the fall in economic output, driven by falls in exports, was greater than many analysts had expected.



A fall in Euro-area economic activity of 0.5 percent has also been forecast for next year.



The last time that the German economy was in recession was during the first half of 2003.