Portugal's economic growth accelerated sharply to 0.8% in the fourth quarter after a 0.2% drop in the previous three months, leading to a full-year expansion of 2.3%, above the government's forecast, official data showed on Tuesday.

The National Statistics Institute (INE) said in its flash estimate that gross domestic product also rose 2.2% in the fourth quarter from a year earlier after 1.9% expansion in the third quarter, with exports and private consumption growing. (Reporting by Joao Vicente in Gdansk, Andrei Khalip in Lisbon)