GROWTH is stuck on a stable growth path in advanced economies, with the United States, Canada and Britain on a steady rise but Germany and Italy are showing signs of slowing down, the OECD said on Monday.

There is widespread concern that the 18-member eurozone economy is flagging at a level of weak growth, and the latest leading indicators from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development showed that the single currency zone is stuck on this growth path.

This will be seen as disappointing since

governments and economists are looking for signs that the weak eurozone recovery is picking up speed.

The lack of overall signs that the world economy, and notably the most advanced economies, are gathering speed will also be seen as disappointing.

Christine Lagarde, the head of the International Monetary Fund which produces benchmark forecasts, hinted in the Les Echos newspaper in Paris on Monday that the organisation could lower its outlook for world growth this year.

"We are in the process of updating our forecasts. World growth should be just above three percent this year, between 3.0 and 3.5 percent,"

Christine Lagarde told the newspaper.

The IMF had previously forecast global growth at 3.4 percent for this year, and will release new projections on October 7.

Lagarde said world growth was "too weak, fragile and uneven".

The fragile state of the eurozone, and the increasing threat of deflation, led the European Central Bank to take strong action last week to inject cash into the economy in the hope this will boost growth and push up prices.

The French economy, widely seen as being at risk of returning to recession, is showing "stable" growth momentum, the OECD said in its monthly survey of composite leading indicators.