Internal trade

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In July 2023, the volume of sales in retail trade decreased by 7.7% according to raw data and by 7.6% when adjusted for calendar effects compared to the same period of the previous year. Calendar-adjusted sale volumes decreased by 4.1% in specialized and non-specialized food shops, by 5.5% in non-food retailing and by 20.5% in automotive fuel retailing. According to seasonally and calendar adjusted data, the volume of retail sales fell by 0.2% compared to the previous month. In January–July 2023, the volume of sales – also according to calendar adjusted data – was 9.9% lower than in the corresponding period of the previous year.

Datasets from the Dissemination Database regarding settlements and Budapest’s districts have been updated with 2022 data, as such settlement and district related data for 2022 are available since 31 August, concerning data on national tobacco shops.

The performance of the Hungarian economy lagged behind the one year earlier level by 0.9% in the 1st quarter of 2023. The January – March 2023 natural decrease of the population amounted to 14 thousand people, 27% less than one year earlier. The decrease is mostly due to the lower mortality. The hike of consumer prices was 25% in the first four months, compared to the same period of 2022, the 42% increase in food prices contributed the most to the rise in prices.

The processes taken place in 2022 were mainly determined by the uncertain global environment due to the Russia-Ukraine war and the general and considerable price increases worldwide. Despite these challenges, the Hungarian economy's performance expanded by 4.6% year-on-year, above the EU average. Employment reached a new record high and average earnings rose significantly, but the impact of this was gradually eroded by surging inflation. Population decline continued at a lower pace than in the previous year.

Despite the adverse economic effects, GDP volume in 2022 was 4.6% higher than a year earlier, while the employment rate expanded to 74.4%. Fewer deaths followed the end of the pandemic, but the birth rate also fell compared to 2021. In addition to the above data, the tables and graphs in the latest edition of the Statistical Pocketbook of Hungary, published every spring, provide a comprehensive insight into the evolution of social and economic trends in Hungary in 2022.

On 31 December 2022, there were just over 107 thousand retail shops in Hungary (excluding motor vehicle and vehicle parts shops), 4.1% fewer than at the end of 2021. The number of shops decreased more than in previous years, which may be explained by the long-term market trends and the rise in energy prices. Food and beverages and predominantly food and beverages shops, which account for a third of units, and non-food shops both saw a similar decline. The number of automotive fuel stations had fallen to 1994.