MEXICO CITY, July 31 (Xinhua) -- Mexico's economy grew 2.7 percent year-on-year in the second quarter of this year, driven by a thriving services industry, the National Statistics and Geography Institute said on Tuesday.

Mexico's gross domestic product (GDP) expanded at a faster rate between April and June, compared with the 1.3 percent growth registered in the first quarter and the 1.8 percent registered in the same quarter of 2017, according to preliminary figures released by the institute.

According to the institute, the services sector was the productive sector with the fastest growth, expanding 3.4 percent.

Mexico's industrial activity grew 1.4 percent, expanding for the first time after a year of contractions, while the agriculture sector expanded 1.8 percent year-on-year.

The definitive figures are to be released on Aug. 24.

Mexico's economy shank 0.1 percent in seasonally adjusted terms in the second quarter compared with the first quarter, mainly due to a 0.3-percent dip in industrial activity and a 2.1-percent decrease in the agricultural sector.

Together, the numbers indicated that Mexico's economy grew 2 percent in the first six months of the year compared with the same period of 2017.

The government has forecast a 2 to 3 percent growth for the year.