German economy shrinks 2.2% in 1st quarter

The German economy shrank by 2.2% in the first quarter compared with the previous three-month period as shutdowns in the country and beyond started to bite, official data showed Friday, AP reported.

The figures from the Federal Statistical Office offered a first glimpse of the damage caused by the coronavirus crisis to Europe's biggest economy, which the government is trying to limit with a raft of rescue programs.

The decline in the January-March period was the biggest since 2009.