PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – The International Monetary Fund says new data shows that Haiti’s gross domestic product grew 2.5 per cent, much less than initially expected for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30.

The IMF said in a Tuesday statement that the GDP growth rate for the 12-month period initially had been projected to reach 4.5 per cent.

But a spring drought and a hurricane damaged major crops. Inflation has also accelerated since June, reaching 6.8 per cent in October, mainly because of rising food prices.

The IMF says GDP growth could reach 6-7 per cent next year.

Protesters have held a series of marches in Haiti in recent months to complain about the high cost of living in the impoverished Caribbean country.