The Nikkei index tumbled by more than two percent Monday to end at its lowest level since April 2009, weighed down by renewed worries about European debt problems and the global economy.

The benchmark 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average dropped 201.99 points or 2.31 percent to 8,535.67.

The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange ended down 14.44 points or 1.91 percent at 741.26.

All 33 sections on the TSE fell, with the decliners led by the securities, iron and steel, and precision machinery sectors.

On the First Section, declining stocks outnumbered gainers 1, 451 to 152 with 61 others unchanged.

Trading volume on the main section fell to 1,693.91 million shares from Friday's 2,208.96 million. Turnover was 1,071 billion yen (13.91 billion U.S. dollars).