Adjusted for season and working days, the EU gauge, the country's GDP grew by 0.7% from the second quarter, expanding by 3.1% year-on-year, the Statistics Office reported in its first estimate on Friday.

The country's economic activity increased by 2.7% in the first nine months of the year on the same period in 2013 with exports and fixed capital formation continuing as the main engines of growth.

Exports increased by 6.8% in the eighth consecutive quarter of growth, with the growth in imports picking up too at 5.5%, mainly on account of a 28.5% spike in imports of motor vehicles.

Domestic consumption increased by 1.9%, chiefly due to a 7.2% growth in gross fixed capital formation as construction expanded by another 14%.