Luxembourg reported the biggest increase in retail sales volumes in the EU in March 2025, with a 9.4% gain compared to the previous year, new data from Eurostat has found.
Of the EU member states for which data is available, Bulgaria also reported a large increase in retail trade volumes (5.4%), along with Cyprus (5.0%), Malta (4.9%), Portugal (3.9%) and Croatia (3.6%).
Several countries also reported an annual decline in retail sales volumes, with the biggest decline seen in Slovakia (-2.9%), followed by Poland (-1.8%), Italy (-1.4%) and Finland (-1.3%).
Retail trade across the EU
On an annual basis, retail trade rose by 1.4% in the EU, and 1.5% in the euro area, the data showed.
In terms of the best-performing segments, non-food sales were the main growth driver of retail trade volumes on an annual basis, rising by 2.3% in the euro area and 2.7% in the EU. Automotive fuel also saw an increase (+0.9% and +1.7% respectively), while food, drinks & tobacco showed weaker gains (+0.6% in the euro area, +0.1% in the EU).
On a month-on-month basis, the volume of retail trade fell by 0.1% in both the EU and euro area, compared to February 2025.
The steepest monthly declines were recorded in Slovenia (-2.0%), Estonia (-1.3%) and Slovakia (-0.9%), while the largest gains came from Malta (+2.0%), Belgium and Croatia (both +1.4%). Read more here.
Retail Trade Volumes – EU, March 2025 (%)
| Country | % Change |
|---|---|
| Luxembourg | 9.4 |
| Bulgaria | 5.4 |
| Cyprus | 5.0 |
| Malta | 4.9 |
| Portugal | 3.9 |
| Croatia | 3.6 |
| Spain | 3.5 |
| Sweden | 3.2 |
| Denmark | 2.5 |
| Germany | 2.3 |
| Ireland | 2.3 |
| France | 1.9 |
| Austria | 1.7 |
| Estonia | 1.2 |
| Belgium | 1.0 |
| Netherlands | 0.5 |
| Hungary | 0.4 |
| Lithuania | 0.1 |
| Slovenia | -0.3 |
| Latvia | -0.7 |
| Finland | -1.3 |
| Italy | -1.4 |
| Poland | -1.8 |
| Slovakia | -2.9 |
| Czechia | n/a |
| Greece | n/a |
| Romania | n/a |
