About half of euro zone citizens are still confused about using the euro two years after its introduction, according to a European Union poll.
However, the Irish have topped the table of those who report being most comfortable with the currency.
A total of 49 per cent said using the euro caused them difficulty, with almost one in ten saying the euro presented "a lot of difficulties," according to the Eurobarometer poll released by the EU's head office.
Overall, citizens in the 12 nations using the euro were roughly split on the common currency: 47 per cent said they were happy that the euro had become their currency, compared to 44 per cent who were unhappy, the poll said.
The Irish, Luxembourgers, Finns and Belgians were the most enamoured with the new currency. The Irish have switched fastest, with 90 per cent saying they think in euros, compared to just 33 per cent of Italians.
Germans by far had most grumbles, with just 30 per cent saying they were happy that the euro had replaced the mark. The French have the most difficulty adapting to the euro, with 62 per cent indicating problems using the money.
Almost 90 per cent of all citizens believe the introduction of the euro has pushed up prices around the bloc, despite reassurances from the EU's economic authorities that the impact on inflation has been minimal.
The poll also showed the Irish believe the EU's Stability and Growth Pact should be enforced with greater flexibility during times of economic downturn.
Three out of four respondents in the eurozone approve of the pact with 47 per cent believing it should be strictly enforced and 42 per cent holding the opposite view. Ireland and Finland were the only countries where a majority favoured more flexibility.
About half of the 12,017 people surveyed had heard of the Stability Pact, but about a third admitted not knowing very much about it.
AP