WELLINGTON, March 15 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand economy, as measured by gross domestic product (GDP), grew 0.6 percent in the December 2017 quarter, the country's statistics department Stats NZ said on Thursday.

The growth was driven by increases in the service industries but was tempered by falls in the primary sector, Stats NZ said.

"Growth was widespread across many service industries, with business services, and rental hiring and real estate services providing momentum," national accounts senior manager Gary Dunnet said in a statement, adding that retail trade and wholesale trade were also key contributors to growth this quarter.

Hot, dry weather appeared to have a negative impact this quarter on agriculture production, which fell 2.7 percent. Falling milk production was reflected in lower dairy manufacturing and dairy exports. In contrast, meat manufacturing was up, keeping pace with export demand for meat products, Dunnet said.

Expenditure on GDP rose underpinned by household spending and investment. Household spending was up 1.2 percent, influenced by people eating out more and spending more on groceries and alcohol, he said, adding this was reflected in the retail trade and accommodation industry, with activity in food and beverage services and supermarkets increasing.

"Imports of capital goods such as aircrafts, factory equipment, and ICT increased considerably this quarter," Dunnet said, adding this was reflected in a 2.1-percent rise in investment of fixed assets.

GDP per capita increased 0.1 percent this quarter, following a 0.2-percent increase in the September 2017 quarter, he added.

Annual GDP growth for the year ended December 2017 was 2.9 percent. The size of the economy in current prices was 283 billion NZ dollars (207 billion U.S. dollars), statistics show.