France's economy collapsed in the first quarter as the sharpest pace since the World War II as the spread of the coronavirus, or Covid-19, and the consequent lockdown hurt economic activity, Bank of France said Wednesday.
Gross domestic product shrunk 6 percent in the first quarter of this year, the bank estimated. That is the worst performance since 1945. The French economy had shrunk 0.1 percent in the fourth quarter of 2019. Another contraction in the first quarter would push the economy into a technical recession.
For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com
Economic News
What parts of the world are seeing the best (and worst) economic performances lately? Click here to check out our Econ Scorecard and find out! See up-to-the-moment rankings for the best and worst performers in GDP, unemployment rate, inflation and much more.
June 12, 2026 17:14 ET Major central bank action was the focus this week in economic news. The European Central Bank became the first major central bank to move in response to the rising inflationary pressures in the backdrop of the conflict in the Middle East. In North America, the U.S. inflation and trade data as well as Canada’s central bank decision gained attention. The Chinese trade data was the main news in Asia.