Slovakia reported the highest annual increase in total retail trade volume in the European Union in December 2024, with an increase of 10.0%, according to new data from Eurostat.
On an annual basis, seasonally adjusted retail trade volumes were also up by 8.7% in Lithuania, 8.4% in Luxembourg, 7.8% in Bulgaria, 6.5% in Croatia, and 6.1% in Romania, the data showed.
At the other end of the scale, retail trade volumes were 3.1% lower on an annual basis, with Belgium (-2.4%) and Poland (-0.5%) also seeing year-on-year declines. No data was available for Czechia and Greece.
Retail sales index
Overall, across the European Union, the retail sales index was up 2.0% in December on an annual basis, and 1.9% higher in the euro area.
The volume of retail trade increased for food, drinks, tobacco by 0.4%; for non-food products (except automotive fuel) by 3.4%; and for automotive fuel in specialised stores by 0.7%, the data showed.
On a month-on-month basis, meanwhile, the retail trade index was 0.3% lower in December 2024 compared to November, while in the euro area, it was 0.2% lower. Read more here.
Annual increase/decrease in retail trade volume, Dec 2024 (%)
| Country | Change in Retail Trade Volume (%) |
|---|---|
| Slovakia | 10.0 |
| Lithuania | 8.7 |
| Luxembourg | 8.4 |
| Bulgaria | 7.8 |
| Croatia | 6.5 |
| Romania | 6.1 |
| Portugal | 6.0 |
| Cyprus | 5.5 |
| Sweden | 5.3 |
| Malta | 4.5 |
| Spain | 4.3 |
| Latvia | 3.4 |
| Austria | 3.1 |
| Ireland | 2.5 |
| Finland | 2.3 |
| Germany | 1.9 |
| France | 1.8 |
| Italy | 1.4 |
| Estonia | 1.1 |
| Denmark | 0.5 |
| Netherlands | 0.4 |
| Hungary | 0.1 |
| Poland | -0.5 |
| Belgium | -2.4 |
| Slovenia | -3.1 |
| Czechia | n/a |
| Greece | n/a |
