Eurozone economy accelerates thanks to Germany

Brussels - Eurozone economic growth accelerated unexpectedly in the final quarter of 2014 as the bloc's largest member, Germany, expanded at more than twice the expected rate.

A preliminary estimate showed the economy of the 18 countries sharing the euro expanded by 0.3% between October and December compared with the previous three months, the European Union's (EU) statistics office Eurostat said on Friday.

A Reuters poll of 51 economists had forecast a 0.2% expansion, the same rate as in the third quarter.