Growth was driven by strong performance in the service sector and construction.
However the growth estimate for the second quarter of the year was revised down from 0.1% to zero by the ONS.
Since the economy started growing again in mid-2009 it has regained just over half of the output lost during the five quarters of contraction.
Despite the improved growth figure for the third quarter, analysts also warned that the UK economy was still heading for tough times.
Legal & General forecast three back-to-back quarters of GDP contraction in 2012.
Tim Drayson, economist at L&G, said he believed that the Office for Budget Responsibility had remained too optimistic despite its recent GDP downgrades for 2012.
He said: “Given planned austerity measures, we feel that the OBR’s forecasts would be achievable only if the private sector grows at near record levels. We see no basis for that.
“Should growth concerns worsen we do expect the Bank of England to do more quantitative easing and also for the US Fed to follow.”
Howard Archer, chief economist at IHS Global Insight, said he felt that more action from the Bank of England was likely in the New Year.
“It remains odds-on that the Bank of England will undertake further Quantitative Easing early in 2012 to try and boost the struggling economy.
"We strongly expect the Bank of England to announce a further £50bn of QE in February and believe that a further £50bn portion is highly likely to follow in the second quarter, most probably May.
“Meanwhile, interest rates seem set to stay down at 0.50% through to the second half of 2013 at least.”
