In addition to signaling relatively strong German growth, Mr. Williamson said the Markit data provided “signs of a long-awaited recovery in France,” which he said appeared to be expanding at the fastest rate since 2011.

The euro, which has been getting back some of the ground it lost since late last year, ticked up 0.3 percent, to $1.0977, after the report. The Euro Stoxx 50 index of eurozone blue chip shares ended up 0.87 percent for the day.

On Monday, the European Central Bank’s president, Mario Draghi, told European lawmakers in Brussels that “the basis for the economic recovery in the euro area has clearly strengthened.”

Mr. Draghi cited the fall in oil prices, a pickup in external demand, a weaker euro and the central bank’s “accommodative monetary policy,” which has driven down borrowing costs, as the main reasons for optimism. The central bank expects the eurozone’s gross domestic product to grow 1.5 percent this year, accelerating to 1.9 percent next year and to 2.1 percent in 2017.

Some economists were quick to raise warning flags. Hopes have been repeatedly raised since the 2008 global financial crisis that the eurozone was finally set to break into a sustained recovery, only for them to be dashed. The eurozone’s economic output remains below its precrisis levels, even though the United States and Britain have regained and surpassed theirs.

“There’s a need for caution: We’ve been here before,” said Carsten Brzeski, chief economist at ING-DiBa in Frankfurt. But he said he saw distinctions, too. “What is different this time around is the external environment — the euro is weaker and oil prices are far lower,” he said. “It’s a stimulus package for free.”

In the view of Ms. Henry, the HSBC economist, the current momentum is notable mainly because it appears to be led by consumers, spurred by lower oil prices.