Germany and Ireland are top among those countries most likely to pull out of the eurozone amid heightened concerns over the solidity of the 16-member union due to the soaring economic costs and consequences of the financial crisis, according to a report.

Analysts at CreditSights, the independent research firm, said that questions over the European Union's future and that of the single European currency have been triggered in the wake of the worst financial crisis and economic upheaval in a generation, and that Germany and Ireland could lead any potential break-up of the eurozone bloc.