Official figures show that consumer confidence in the euro zone fell in February for the first time in 10 months, in a sign that economic recovery remained fragile.
The indicator fell to -17.4 points from -15.8 in December in 16-nation currency area, the European Commission said in an early estimate. Full sentiment figures will be published at the end of the month.
The data confirmed that recovery from the worst economic crisis since World War Two depends on exports and government spending, rather that private demand, as consumers keep their spending tight due to increasing unemployment.
The euro zone's jobless rate rose to 10% of the workforce in December, its highest since August 1998.
Flash estimates showed last week that the euro zone's gross domestic product edged up only 0.1% in the October-December period against the previous quarter, compared with 0.4% growth in July-September.
Analysts expect growth to remain weak this year, putting pressure on the European Central Bank to refrain from any interest rates hikes and on governments to maintain fiscal stimulus programmes.
