TOKYO (AP) — The Japanese government says the economy grew at an annual pace of 2.1% in the first quarter, marking the second straight quarter of expansion.

The Cabinet Office said Monday seasonally adjusted real gross domestic product, the total value of a nation's goods and services, grew 0.5% in the January-March period from the previous quarter.

The annual pace shows how much GDP would have grown if that pace had continued for the year.

Healthy public investment and private residential investment helped boost growth during the quarter, according to the data.

Japan's economy has recorded moderate growth under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's "Abenomics" anti-deflation programs but contracted some recent periods because of natural disasters.

A slowdown in Pacific trade as China's economy slows over President Donald Trump's tariffs would hurt export-reliant Japan.