BRATISLAVA (AFP) -- The Slovak economy grew by a record breaking 9.8 percent in the third quarter of the year on a 12-month comparison, the Slovak Statistics Office announced.

The figure for the latest quarterly gross domestic product growth is the highest ever by the small Central European country, created in 1993 from the split of former Czechoslovkia.

A 23.8-percent rise in exports, while imports increased by 9.2 percent, and a 6.7 percent surge in investment are the key factors behind the historic growth, the office added.

The latest figures took analysts by surprise. They had expected growth of about 7.0 percent.

"The latest figure signals a strong growth of the Slovak economy in 2007," Tatra Bank analyst, Robert Prega, told AFP.

In the first nine months of the year, Slovak Gross National Product has risen by 7.8 percent on a 12-month comparison. During the first two quarters growth was 6.7 percent.

The Slovak economy is likely to grow by 7.7 percent for the whole of 2006, the office forecast.

-------Slovak 12-month industrial output climbs 11.1% in Oct.

Slovak industrial production rose by 11.1 percent in October on a 12-month comparison after 9.7 percent in September, the Slovak Statistics Office also said.

The manufacturing sector contributed mainly to the advance with a 14.7 percent rise in production over the period, the office said. Vehicle production was up 41.1 percent compared with October 2005.

Production and distribution of electricity, gas and water fell by 9.8 percent and output from the mining sector was down 7.9 percent, it added.