Finance Minister Zdravko Maric said on Wednesday that the GDP growth in the third quarter was in accordance with the government's projections and showed that the government planned growth realistically and rationally.

The Croatian economy grew by 2.9% in the third quarter of 2019 compared with the same period of 2018, the National Bureau of Statistics (DZS) said on Wednesday. It was a faster growth than in the second quarter when GDP rose by 2.4% year on year.

Maric pointed out the contribution of domestic demand, personal consumption and investment to the growth, adding that it was particularly good to see a contribution from exports.

He noted that in the third quarter imports rose merely by 1.1%. “I consider this to be the greatest challenge – to reduce the dependence of the economy and society on imports.”

Maric said that the GDP growth was a good foundation, but that further progress was needed in structural reforms.