Volume change in retail trade in the Member States of the European Union, January 2025
Released: 10 March 2025
In January 2025, the volume of retail trade in the European Union was 1.6% higher, on a calendar-adjusted basis, than in the same month of the previous year. Available data show that most Member States recorded an increase in retail trade volumes, with the highest increase in Luxembourg (11.4%) and decreases in Italy, Belgium and Finland (0.3-0.4%). Seasonally and calendar adjusted retail trade volumes fell by 0.2% in the EU compared with the previous month.
In January 2025, the volume of retail trade in Hungary was 4.6% higher than a year earlier1 (seasonally and calendar-adjusted retail trade volumes were 2.2% up on the previous month). Among the V4 countries, retail trade volumes grew by 1.2% in both Poland and Slovakia compared with the same period of the previous year (data for Czechia not available).
In Hungary, the volume of retail trade in specialized and non-specialized food shops increased by 4.7% compared to the same month of the previous year. Sales volumes in non-specialized food and beverages shops, which account for 76% of food retail trade, were 5.1% higher, while in specialized food, beverage and tobacco stores they increased by 3.2%. Non-food retail trade sales volumes increased by 5.6% overall. Compared to January 2024, sales volume in pharmaceutical, medical goods and cosmetics shops increased by 9.7%, in furniture and electrical goods stores by 7.8%, in non-specialized shops dealing in manufactured goods by 6.7%, in textiles, clothing and footwear shops by 4.7%, in second-hand goods shops by 2.9% and in books, computer equipment and other specialized stores by 0.3%. Mail order and internet retailing, which covers a wide range of goods and accounted for 8.8% of retail sales in January 2025, rose by 3.9%. The volume of sales at automotive fuel stations increased by 1.9% compared with a year earlier. Sales volumes of motor vehicles and motor vehicle parts and accessories stores, not included in retail trade data, increased by 19%.
In January 2025, national retail trade turnover at current prices was HUF 1,477 billion. 49% of national retail sales were realized in specialized and non-specialized food shops, 35% in non-food retail trade and 16% in the fuel sales of automotive fuel stations.
Trading Economics' macro-models suggest that retail sales in the European Union could grow by around 1.2% year-on-year at the end of Q1 2025, followed by a further 0.2-0.8% growth in 2025. In Hungary, growth of 2.7-2.7% is expected for the first and second quarters of 2025.
Table 1
Volume of retail trade in the EU member states, January 2025
Territorial units
Indicesa) (base year 2021)
% change compared with
the previous montha)
the same month of the previous yearb)
European Union average
101.6
-0.2
1.6
Euro area
101.1
-0.3
1.5
Belgium
91.7
-0.8
-0.3
Bulgaria
117.7
0.1
8.1
Czechia
..
..
..
Denmark
93.9
-0.4
1.3
Germany
98.5
0.1
2.7
Estonia
92.3
-0.8
2.8
Ireland
..
..
..
Greece
..
..
..
Spain
..
..
..
France
103.2
-0.1
0.7
Croatia
114.4
-1.4
4.4
Italy
97.8
-0.4
-0.3
Cyprus
115.1
-2.2
1.7
Latvia
104.3
-0.7
2.1
Lithuania
102.2
-4.8
1.3
Luxembourg
126.1
0.6
11.4
Hungary
101.9
2.2
4.6
Malta
118.0
-0.8
3.8
Netherlands
102.4
1.6
2.0
Austria
96.9
-0.9
2.0
Poland
108.2
0.8
1.2
Portugal
112.4
0.1
5.3
Romania
117.0
0.1
1.7
Slovenia
100.3
2.3
3.4
Slovakia
102.5
-9.0
1.2
Finland
92.1
-1.4
-0.4
Sweden
95.7
0.0
4.1
a) Calendar and seasonally adjusted.
b) Calendar adjusted.
Source: Euro indicators – Retail trade, January 2025. (6 March 2025)
Figure 1
Figure 2
Footnotes
-
Due to a methodological difference, the data on the volume change of retail trade in the January 2025 first release of the HCSO "Retail Trade" may differ from those published by Eurostat. In Hungary, according to the Hungarian methodology, the calendar-adjusted volume of retail trade increased by 4.7% compared to the same month of the previous year. ↩
Released: 10 March 2025
In January 2025, the volume of retail trade in the European Union was 1.6% higher, on a calendar-adjusted basis, than in the same month of the previous year. Available data show that most Member States recorded an increase in retail trade volumes, with the highest increase in Luxembourg (11.4%) and decreases in Italy, Belgium and Finland (0.3-0.4%). Seasonally and calendar adjusted retail trade volumes fell by 0.2% in the EU compared with the previous month.
In January 2025, the volume of retail trade in Hungary was 4.6% higher than a year earlier1 (seasonally and calendar-adjusted retail trade volumes were 2.2% up on the previous month). Among the V4 countries, retail trade volumes grew by 1.2% in both Poland and Slovakia compared with the same period of the previous year (data for Czechia not available).
In Hungary, the volume of retail trade in specialized and non-specialized food shops increased by 4.7% compared to the same month of the previous year. Sales volumes in non-specialized food and beverages shops, which account for 76% of food retail trade, were 5.1% higher, while in specialized food, beverage and tobacco stores they increased by 3.2%. Non-food retail trade sales volumes increased by 5.6% overall. Compared to January 2024, sales volume in pharmaceutical, medical goods and cosmetics shops increased by 9.7%, in furniture and electrical goods stores by 7.8%, in non-specialized shops dealing in manufactured goods by 6.7%, in textiles, clothing and footwear shops by 4.7%, in second-hand goods shops by 2.9% and in books, computer equipment and other specialized stores by 0.3%. Mail order and internet retailing, which covers a wide range of goods and accounted for 8.8% of retail sales in January 2025, rose by 3.9%. The volume of sales at automotive fuel stations increased by 1.9% compared with a year earlier. Sales volumes of motor vehicles and motor vehicle parts and accessories stores, not included in retail trade data, increased by 19%.
In January 2025, national retail trade turnover at current prices was HUF 1,477 billion. 49% of national retail sales were realized in specialized and non-specialized food shops, 35% in non-food retail trade and 16% in the fuel sales of automotive fuel stations.
Trading Economics' macro-models suggest that retail sales in the European Union could grow by around 1.2% year-on-year at the end of Q1 2025, followed by a further 0.2-0.8% growth in 2025. In Hungary, growth of 2.7-2.7% is expected for the first and second quarters of 2025.
Volume of retail trade in the EU member states, January 2025
| Territorial units | Indicesa) (base year 2021) | % change compared with | |
|---|---|---|---|
| the previous montha) | the same month of the previous yearb) | ||
| European Union average | 101.6 | -0.2 | 1.6 |
| Euro area | 101.1 | -0.3 | 1.5 |
| Belgium | 91.7 | -0.8 | -0.3 |
| Bulgaria | 117.7 | 0.1 | 8.1 |
| Czechia | .. | .. | .. |
| Denmark | 93.9 | -0.4 | 1.3 |
| Germany | 98.5 | 0.1 | 2.7 |
| Estonia | 92.3 | -0.8 | 2.8 |
| Ireland | .. | .. | .. |
| Greece | .. | .. | .. |
| Spain | .. | .. | .. |
| France | 103.2 | -0.1 | 0.7 |
| Croatia | 114.4 | -1.4 | 4.4 |
| Italy | 97.8 | -0.4 | -0.3 |
| Cyprus | 115.1 | -2.2 | 1.7 |
| Latvia | 104.3 | -0.7 | 2.1 |
| Lithuania | 102.2 | -4.8 | 1.3 |
| Luxembourg | 126.1 | 0.6 | 11.4 |
| Hungary | 101.9 | 2.2 | 4.6 |
| Malta | 118.0 | -0.8 | 3.8 |
| Netherlands | 102.4 | 1.6 | 2.0 |
| Austria | 96.9 | -0.9 | 2.0 |
| Poland | 108.2 | 0.8 | 1.2 |
| Portugal | 112.4 | 0.1 | 5.3 |
| Romania | 117.0 | 0.1 | 1.7 |
| Slovenia | 100.3 | 2.3 | 3.4 |
| Slovakia | 102.5 | -9.0 | 1.2 |
| Finland | 92.1 | -1.4 | -0.4 |
| Sweden | 95.7 | 0.0 | 4.1 |
b) Calendar adjusted.
Source: Euro indicators – Retail trade, January 2025. (6 March 2025)
Footnotes
-
Due to a methodological difference, the data on the volume change of retail trade in the January 2025 first release of the HCSO "Retail Trade" may differ from those published by Eurostat. In Hungary, according to the Hungarian methodology, the calendar-adjusted volume of retail trade increased by 4.7% compared to the same month of the previous year. ↩