The third quarter figures for Dominican Gross Domestic Product hit 10.6% for the quarter. Growth for the first three quarters averaged at 7.3%, and the Central Bank explained that national production has been fortified by macro-economic stability as demonstrated by the relative stability of the currency exchange rate, a slow inflation rate and the gradual reduction of interest rates. The report also shows that private consumption increased over the quarter, showing growth of 17.4%. The most active areas of the economy were communications, which grew by 25.4%, commerce at 19%, tourism activities at 5.5% and transportation at 7.8% growth rates.