The US economy grew at an annualised pace of 2.3% in the three months to June, official figures have shown.
The figure – the first estimate of growth in the second quarter – followed an upwardly revised growth rate of 0.6% in the first three months of the year.
The Commerce Department said growth was boosted by increased consumer spending and cheaper fuel prices.
Analysts said the figure could make the US Federal Reserve more likely to raise interest rates in September.
The 2.3% annualised growth rate is equivalent to 0.6% growth quarter-on-quarter, as measured in most other countries. For example, on Tuesday, official figures showed that the UK economy grew by an estimated 0.7% in the April-to-June period from the previous quarter.
“Updated GDP numbers deliver a double-punch to US economy doom-mongers, painting a reassuringly bright picture of the health of the US economy so far this year and raising the odds of the Fed hiking interest rates in September,” said Chris Williamson, chief economist at research firm Markit.
The 0.6% annualised growth rate for the first quarter of the year was an improvement on the previous estimate of a 0.2% contraction.
Consumer spending – a key driver of the US economy – grew at a rate of 2.9% in the second quarter, compared with 1.8% in the first three months of the year.
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