The eurozone has fallen back into recession for the first time in three years, and there are fears it will deepen for the 17 countries that use the euro currency.

Official figures released Thursday show its economy contracted by 0.1 percent from July to September.

The news comes as the eurozone's three-year debt crisis continues to make the region a major focus of concern for the world economy.

There are an estimated 332 million people in the region, which is America's largest export customer.