国际英语新闻：Brazil reports highest quarterly GDP growth since 1995

The accumulated figures are much more positive than those registered in 2009, when the global financial crisis caused the Brazilian GDP to shrink 0.2 percent.

Earlier in the day, Finance Minister Guido Mantega said the GDP growth exceeded expectations, and attributed the sound figures to the monetary and fiscal measures taken by the government, which have helped minimize the crisis effects.

Planning Minister Paulo Bernardo said that based on the first-quarter results, the estimates for 2010 GDP growth should be lifted from 5 percent to 6 percent.