The crisis forced debt-laden governments to impose painful cuts, spooked investors and raised doubts about the viability of the eurozone.
Shrunken government spending and higher taxes devastated living standards in much of the eurozone, slowed economies and drove the bloc's unemployment rate to a record 12.1 percent.
Youth unemployment, in addition to hindering economic growth, is thought to contribute to crime and political extremism.
"While welcome news, much of the return to growth is likely to be driven from Germany, which is likely to be cold comfort to countries like Spain, Italy and Greece buckling under crippling levels of debt and unemployment," said Michael Hewson, senior market analyst at CMC Markets.
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