Russia's gross domestic product ( GDP) in the first half of 2011 rose by 3.7 percent, Russian Statistics Agency Rosstat said on Wednesday.
In the second quarter this year, the GDP grew up by 3.4 percent compared to the same period of 2010, according to Rosstat's preliminary calculations.
This is below the forecasts of 3.7 percent made by the Economic Development Ministry.
The ministry also forecast the GDP growth in the first half of 2011 to be 3.9 percent.
The ministry now expects the GDP growth for the whole year to reach 4.2 to 4.5 percent against 2010, when the Russian economy grew by 4.0 percent.
"The recovering economic growth continues, and situation in general is quite positive," Minister Elvira Nabiullina was quoted by the RBC news agency as saying./.