WARSAW (AFP) -- The Polish economy grew by 5.8 percent in 2006, beating official forecasts, provisional figures issued on Monday by the national statistics bureau showed.

The increase in Poland's gross domestic product to 1,046.6 billion zlotys (266.9 billion euros, 344.76 billion dollars) was driven by rising industrial output, which had led authorities to revise their growth forecasts during the year to 5.5 percent.

Investments rose by 16.7 percent in 2006 compared with 2005, when they increased by 6.5 percent.

Poland's conservative government had initially forecast a 4.3 percent GDP growth rate in its annual budget for 2006.

GDP had grown by 3.5 percent in 2005, after an increase of 5.3 percent in 2004.