The Norwegian mainland economy grew at a slower pace than economists had expected in the third quarter, Statistics Norway (SSB) data showed on Thursday.

The July-September quarter saw a rise in mainland GDP of 0.1% compared with the April-June period, while economists polled by Reuters had expected growth of 0.2%.

"The Norwegian economy is now in a business cycle phase where weak demand slows down growth," SSB said in a statement.

Mainland GDP, which excludes the often volatile impact of Norway's oil and gas production, is the most commonly watched measure of how the Norwegian economy is performing.

The Norwegian crown currency traded unchanged against the euro at 11.70 at 0706 GMT. (Reporting by Terje Solsvik, editing by Anna Ringstrom)