There has been a big pick up in Spain’s economy helped along by consumer prices falling further. <br /><br /> Preliminary figures show notable annual growth for the first time since the crash nearly seven years ago. <br /><br /> At the same time inflation was down one point four percent in January from a year earlier, which the government hopes will boost spending. <br /><br /> The first estimate from the National Statistics Institute was that the Spanish economy expanded 1.4 percent in 2014 from a year earlier, with the pace increasing in the final months. <br /><br /> Economic output also rose 2.0 percent in the fourth quarter from a year earlier, beating economist expectations.<br /><br /> GDP has risen for the last six quarters. <br /><br /> Businesses have benefited from lower energy costs, the weaker euro, and reduced personal and company taxes. <br /><br /> And the eurozone’s fourth-largest economy is no longer dependent on exports with business investment and consumer spending increasing.<br /><br /> After the bursting of its property bubble in 2008 Spain’
