YEREVAN, December 20. /ARKA/. Economic activity index of Armenia climbed  to 107.1% in the fourth quarter of 2012  from a year earlier, the Central Bank reported Thursday.

From the third quarter economic activity rose to 106.6%.

Construction sphere posted the highest economic activity index in the reported period (113.3%). Economic activity in industrial sector dropped by 5.9%.

Furthermore, business environment index slashed by 1.7% to 98.3% in Q4 from the same quarter a year earlier due to tumbles in construction by 5.7% and services by 2.8%. Business environment index advanced in commerce sphere (101.9%), which also posted higher economic activity index in the fourth quarter. The actual business activity and sub-indices of expectations fell by 97.6% and 98.8% respectively.

Economic activity index is measured by averaged assessments and expectations of respondents related to the volume of  production, production orders and the projected changes in productive supplies.

Business environment index is measured by averaged assessments of the organizations related to economic situation and risks.

Since early 2005, the Central Bank has been conducting quarterly surveys among non-financial, financial organizations and households to measure how the present economic situation and expectations  changed from earlier period.—0-