The European Central Bank today retained its key interest rate at 1 per cent to boost the region's economy, which is slowly coming out of recession.
Like its counterparts in the US and the UK, the apex bank has been continuing with low interest-rate regime since May 2009.
The Governing Council of ECB decided to leave the interest rate on main refinancing operations unchanged at one per cent, the central bank said in a statement.
Further, the rate on marginal lending facility and deposit facility would remain at 1.75 per cent and 0.25 per cent, respectively.
Even though the region's economic situation is improving, the jobless rate in Euro zone -- a grouping of 16 nations that share the common currency euro -- rose to 10 per cent in November last year.
Last week, Bank of England left its benchmark rate unchanged at 0.5 per cent, as part of efforts to bolster the recession-hit British economy.
The US which has climbed out of recession, continues with its near-zero interest rate regime.