The French economy clocked up solid growth in the third quarter, official data showed on Tuesday, suggesting that recovery in the eurozone's second-biggest economy remains on track.

The national statistics institute INSEE said in a statement that gross domestic product (GDP) expanded by 0.5 percent in the three months to September.

The French economy had already grown by 0.6 percent in the second quarter and 0.5 percent in the first quarter of this year.

The third-quarter data are in line with the government's forecast for growth of 1.8 percent over the year as a whole.

Economic activity in the period from July to September was driven by a pick-up in household consumption and rising investment, INSEE said.