Germany's economic growth stood at an estimated 2.7 percent in 2006, the German Federal Statistics Office said on Tuesday, revising up from the previous projection thanks to stronger performance in the fourth quarter.

In its estimate in January, the office put the figure at 2.5 percent. The revised growth rate was the strongest since 2000.

"The German economy grew strongly again towards the end of the year," the office said in a report.

Gross domestic product (GDP) rose by 0.9 percent in the fourth quarter over the previous three-month period due to price, seasonal and calendar adjustment, it said.

Fourth-quarter growth also jumped by 3.5 percent over the same period the previous year, the report said.

Extremely dynamic foreign trade played a greater role in the economic upturn in the fourth quarter. At home, both higher capital formation and an increase in final consumption expenditure of households were the big contributors to the GDP growth, it said.