On a quarterly basis, gross domestic product rose 0.5 percent, in line with an earlier flash estimate.

The statistics office said investments and household consumption were the main factors supporting growth, along with external demand.

Exports rose by a real 7.6 percent year-on-year and imports by 8.3 percent.

For the full year 2017, the economy expanded by 4.5 percent

The central bank had forecast fourth-quarter growth of 5.4 percent and 4.5 percent for the full-year.

The bank has delivered three interest rate hikes since

starting tightening conditions in August last year. It will comment on the released figures at 1200 GMT.