April 30 (Reuters) - Austrian lender Erste Group reported first-quarter earnings ahead of market expectation on Tuesday, boosted by higher net interest income especially in its home market on the back of higher interest rates and larger loan volume.

The bank, which operates in seven countries across Central and Eastern Europe, reported a net profit of 783 million euros ($838 million) for the first quarter of 2024, beating analysts' forecast of 735.8 million euros in a company-provided poll. ($1 = 0.9347 euros) (Reporting by Eva Orsolya Papp and Isabel Demetz in Gdansk; Editing by Milla Nissi)