Growth of 0.4% forecast for euro area

The eurozone economy is on a recovery path, according to all but a handful of forecasters polled by Reuters who also gave a slightly more than one-in-four chance of Greece leaving the currency union.

Economists are more optimistic about a turnaround in the region compared with a month ago, which should provide some cheer given that for years a faltering eurozone has been one of the top risks to global growth.

GDP growth is expected to average a steady 0.4% per quarter until mid-2016, giving a 1.4% annual rate this year and 1.6% in 2016.