This was supported by moderate growth in the global economy and the rebound from sluggish domestic demand due to factors such as severe winter weather. Chart 3 shows the real GDP growth rate and the breakdown by component.
The contribution of domestic demand to total growth became larger as business fixed investment accelerated and as private consumption started to increase on the back of improvements in the employment and income situation. On the other hand, the contribution of external demand declined in response to a decrease in exports of services.