German economic growth will be weaker than expected in 2021, leading research institutes said Thursday, as ongoing coronavirus restrictions continue to slow recovery on Europe's largest economy. Germany's gross domestic product will expand by only 3.7 percent this year, five economic think-tanks including Ifo, DIW and RWI said in their annual spring report, revising down more optimistic predictions made in the autumn by one percentage point. kih/hmn/wai