New data coming from Germany reveals its economy is in recession, after six months of negative growth, the news agency AFP reports.
Persistent inflation and the lack of Russian gas supplies after the invasion of Ukraine put a strain on Germany's economy.
According to the nation's statistics office Destatis, the economy contracted by 0.3% between January and March 2023.
This followed a 0.5-percent contraction in the last three months of 2022, making it Germany's second consecutive quarter of negative growth -- a key marker for "technical recession".
German analysts say the country suffered a spike in energy prices following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which ripple effects affected households and businesses.
The government however is confident it would not be a prolonged recession.
"We continue to expect a significant improvement over the course of the year," an economy ministry spokesman told AFP.
With Russia shutting its doors on energy supplies, Berlin scrambled to find alternatives especially as a harsh winter was anticipated at the end of 2022.
The recession was less severe than many had anticipated, given Germany's heavy reliance on Russian energy. A mild winter and the reopening of China's economy eased the impact of the energy price spike.
