Spain raises growth forecast to 3.3% in 2015, 3% in 2016

Spain's conservative government has raised its economic growth forecast for this year to 3.3 percent and to 3 percent in 2016, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said Thursday. The government, which is facing a year-end general election, had earlier this year hiked its economic growth forecast to 2.9 percent for 2015 and 2016. It is more optimistic than the Bank of Spain which sees the eurozone's fourth largest economy expanding by 3.1 percent in 2015 and 2.7 percent in 2016.