June 20 (Reuters) – Germany may come closer to reaching 2 percent economic growth this year than previously expected, Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said on Sunday.

In late January, the government forecast gross domestic product in Europe’s largest economy would expand by 1.4 percent in 2010, though some economists have said a figure as high as 3 percent is possible.

“Perhaps we will come closer to the 2 percent figure than we even dared hope just a couple of weeks ago,” Schaeuble said during a speech at an award ceremony in the northern German city of Kiel.

Earlier this month, policymakers including Schaeuble had said the German economy should grow faster than expected, with the recovery gathering pace markedly during the current quarter. [ID:nLDE65A0LK] (Reporting by Jan Schwartz, Writing by Sarah Marsh; Editing by Jon Loades-Carter)