Gross domestic product in the OECD area rose by 0.8% in the third quarter, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development said Monday.

For the big seven countries (the United States, Japan, United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany, Italy) GDP grew by 0.7% following zero growth in the previous quarter. Although the OECD reports that considerable variation in national rates was observed, ranging from a 1.2% increase in Japan to a 0.4% decline in the UK, its sixth consecutive quarter of contraction.

No official GDP estimate is available for Canada, so the OECD forecasts, but doesn’t publish, a number for Canada in its statistics.

Apart from France, where growth was unchanged on the previous quarter, all of the big seven countries showed improved GDP growth compared to the previous quarter, the OECD noted; and Italy and the U.S. recorded positive growth for the first time since last year.

GDP in the euro area was up 0.4% and up 0.2% in the European Union, following falls of 0.2% and 0.3% respectively in the previous quarter.

On a year over year basis GDP is still down significantly. For the OECD countries, GDP fell 3.3% between the third quarter of 2008 and the third quarter of 2009. The U.S. contributed 0.8% to the total OECD fall, with Japan contributing 0.5%, the euro area (13 countries) 1.1%, and the remaining countries 0.9%, the OECD said.