Official figures show that the euro zone economy shrank by a record 2.5% in the first quarter of this year. This brought the annual rate of contraction was 4.6%, according to the Eurostat data agency.
The figures were worse than economists had expected, and meant the zone suffered its deepest slump on records going back to 1995 in the first quarter.
They also show that the downturn in Europe is worse than that in the US, where the economy shrank 1.6% in Q1 and 2.6% over the year.
Grim figures from Europe's big two
Germany led the way deeper into recession as Europe's biggest economy shrank a stunning 3.8% in the quarter, but Italy was not far behind with its economy contracting 2.4%.
Separate figures showed that the euro zone's annual inflation rate held steady in April at a record low 0.6%. This was the same rate as in March but sharply down from the 1.2% recorded in February.
After hitting a record high point of 4% last June and July, euro zone inflation has fallen sharply as oil and other commodity prices have collapsed in the face of a deep economic downturn.
Although headline inflation remained unchanged in April from March, underlying inflation, which excludes volatile energy, food, tobacco and alcohol prices, rose to 1.8% from 1.4%.
