The German economy grew by 8.2 percent in the third quarter of 2020 as the country enjoyed a period of relief from virus restrictions, official data showed Friday. Federal statistics agency Destatis said the growth, coming after a historic slump in the second quarter, was based on "higher final consumption expenditure of households, higher capital formation in machinery and equipment and a sharp increase in exports". Overall, the German government expects the economy to shrink by 5.5 percent in 2020, Economy Minister Peter Altmaier said. fec/mfp/bp