Germany’s economy expanded slightly in the first quarter thanks to increased construction sector activity and a rise in exports, government data showed on Friday, matching a preliminary estimate of 0.2% quarter-on-quarter growth released last month. “After GDP fell at the end of 2023, the German economy started 2024 on a positive note,” said Ruth Brand, president of the Federal Statistical Office, in a statement. Hopes for Europe’s biggest economy in the coming months are pinned chiefly on a pick-up in private consumption in light of higher wages and lower inflation. The country’s central bank…