Denmark, Sweden, Germany and the UK are among the EU’s most confident nations that believe their economic situation is strong and will remain so over the coming year, reports the European Commission (EC).

The EC survey shows a striking split between the northern and southern EU countries.

Those living in southern European regions had more pessimistic views on the current state of their economy and their short-term prospects.

The EC survey is based on 62,511 interviews conducted in the 28 EU member states in September.