Volume of retail trade down by 0.5% in the euro area and by 0.4% in the EU (2024)

Euro indicators 5 April 2024 Next release: 7 May 2024

February 2024 compared with January 2024

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Down by 0.7% in the euro area and by 0.2% in the EU compared with February 2023

Overview

In February 2024, compared with January 2024, the seasonally adjusted retail trade volume decreased by 0.5% in the euro area and by 0.4% in the EU, according to first estimates from Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.

In January 2024, retail trade volume remained unchanged in the euro area and grew by 0.2% in the EU.

In February 2024 compared with February 2023, the calendar adjusted retail sales index decreased by 0.7% the euro area and by 0.2% in the EU.

Volume of retail trade down by 0.5% in the euro area and by 0.4% in the EU (1)

Monthly comparison by retail sector and by Member State

In the euro area in February 2024, compared with January 2024, the volume of retail trade

  • decreased for food, drinks, tobacco by 0.4%,

  • decreased for non-food products (except automotive fuel) by 0.2%,

  • decreased for automotive fuel in specialised stores by 1.4%.

In the EU, the volume of retail trade

  • decreased for food, drinks, tobacco by 0.5%,

  • decreased for non-food products (except automotive fuel) by 0.1%,

  • decreased for automotive fuel in specialised stores by 0.9%.

Among Member States for which data are available, the largest monthly decreases in the total retail trade volume were recorded in Germany (-1.9%), Belgium (-1.8%) and Cyprus (-1.1%). The highest increases were observed in Poland (+1.4%), Croatia (+1.2%) and Estonia (+1.0%).

Annual comparison by retail sector and by Member State

In the euro area in February 2024, compared with February 2023, the volume of retail trade

In the EU, the volume of retail trade

  • decreased for food, drinks, tobacco by 0.9%,

  • increased for non-food products (except automotive fuel) by 0.6%,

  • decreased for automotive fuel in specialised stores by 1.5%.

Among Member States for which data are available, the largest annual decreases in the total retail trade volume were recorded in Belgium (-6.8%), Slovenia (-5.6%) and Finland (-3.7%). The highest increases were observed in Croatia (+9.2%), Romania (+8.7%) and Luxembourg (+6.9%).

Tables

Volume of retail trade

% change compared with the previous month*

Sept-23

Oct-23

Nov-23

Dec-23

Jan-24

Feb-24

Euro area

Total retail trade

0.0

0.3

0.5

-0.6

0.0

-0.5

Food, drinks, tobacco

0.6

-0.6

-0.1

-0.6

0.3

-0.4

Non-food products (except automotive fuel)

-0.7

0.9

0.4

-0.9

0.4

-0.2

Automotive fuel in specialised stores

0.5

0.1

1.8

0.5

0.2

-1.4

EU

Total retail trade

-0.1

0.4

0.4

-0.6

0.2

-0.4

Food, drinks, tobacco

0.6

-0.5

0.0

-0.5

0.3

-0.5

Non-food products (except automotive fuel)

-0.8

1.0

0.4

-0.8

0.5

-0.1

Automotive fuel in specialised stores

0.6

0.7

0.5

0.7

0.1

-0.9

* Calendar and seasonally adjusted

Source dataset: sts_trtu_m

Volume of retail trade down by 0.5% in the euro area and by 0.4% in the EU (2)

Volume of retail trade

% change compared with the previous month*

Sept-23

Oct-23

Nov-23

Dec-23

Jan-24

Feb-24

Euro area

0.0

0.3

0.5

-0.6

0.0

-0.5

EU

-0.1

0.4

0.4

-0.6

0.2

-0.4

Belgium

0.7

-0.3

0.9

-1.9

-0.7

-1.8

Bulgaria

0.1

0.8

0.4

-0.7

0.8

0.9

Czechia

-0.4

0.8

0.4

0.1

1.0

c

Denmark

-0.2

1.4

2.7

-2.4

-1.3

-0.1

Germany

0.0

1.0

-0.5

-0.3

-0.3

-1.9

Estonia

0.0

0.0

-0.9

0.2

-2.5

1.0

Ireland

-1.0

0.1

0.0

0.9

0.2

-0.2

Greece

-1.0

-2.1

1.1

2.2

-5.8

c

Spain

-0.2

0.6

1.1

-0.8

-0.5

0.5

France

0.1

-0.1

1.3

-1.1

1.0

-0.3

Croatia

1.2

1.2

0.9

0.6

0.7

1.2

Italy

-0.5

0.3

0.1

c

c

c

Cyprus

0.2

-0.1

1.1

-0.1

1.9

-1.1

Latvia

0.0

2.5

0.6

0.8

-1.1

0.7

Lithuania

-0.4

0.2

1.0

0.1

0.6

0.7

Luxembourg

1.5

1.0

1.5

1.1

1.4

0.2

Hungary

0.1

-0.2

0.8

1.4

0.0

-0.6

Malta

-0.4

0.2

1.2

-1.1

0.1

0.4

Netherlands

0.6

0.2

0.8

-0.4

1.1

0.5

Austria

-0.2

-0.7

0.7

-1.7

1.0

0.0

Poland

0.1

0.2

-0.7

-0.8

-0.1

1.4

Portugal

1.0

-0.6

0.5

0.3

-0.3

-0.4

Romania

-0.6

1.1

1.7

-0.4

4.6

0.5

Slovenia

0.7

0.9

0.2

-0.4

-1.6

-0.9

Slovakia

-1.4

1.8

0.0

1.7

-1.0

0.9

Finland

-0.4

0.2

0.1

-1.0

0.2

-0.9

Sweden

-1.7

2.5

-1.3

-0.5

0.1

0.4

Norway

0.1

0.3

0.3

-1.0

0.0

0.1

Switzerland

-0.3

0.1

0.5

-0.3

0.8

-0.1

* Calendar and seasonally adjusted

c Confidential

Source dataset: sts_trtu_m

Volume of retail trade down by 0.5% in the euro area and by 0.4% in the EU (3)

Volume of retail trade

% change compared with the same month of the previous year*

Sept-23

Oct-23

Nov-23

Dec-23

Jan-24

Feb-24

Euro area

Total retail trade

-3.4

-1.2

-0.6

-0.6

-0.9

-0.7

Food, drinks, tobacco

-1.1

-1.0

-0.5

-0.1

-1.3

-1.4

Non-food products (except automotive fuel)

-4.1

-0.3

0.3

-0.2

-0.7

-0.1

Automotive fuel in specialised stores

-6.1

-5.4

-3.1

-3.6

0.4

-1.1

EU

Total retail trade

-3.2

-1.0

-0.5

-0.5

-0.6

-0.2

Food, drinks, tobacco

-1.2

-0.9

-0.4

0.4

-0.8

-0.9

Non-food products (except automotive fuel)

-3.8

0.1

0.6

-0.1

-0.5

0.6

Automotive fuel in specialised stores

-6.3

-5.3

-4.7

-5.4

-0.8

-1.5

* Calendar adjusted

Source dataset: sts_trtu_m

Volume of retail trade down by 0.5% in the euro area and by 0.4% in the EU (4)

Volume of retail trade

% change compared with the same month of the previous year*

Sept-23

Oct-23

Nov-23

Dec-23

Jan-24

Feb-24

Euro area

-3.4

-1.2

-0.6

-0.6

-0.9

-0.7

EU

-3.2

-1.0

-0.5

-0.5

-0.6

-0.2

Belgium

-8.9

-4.3

-2.6

-3.7

-3.8

-6.8

Bulgaria

0.1

3.4

3.1

0.8

-0.1

3.1

Czechia

-4.3

-1.8

-0.2

1.2

2.4

c

Denmark

-0.7

2.7

5.4

5.0

0.9

0.0

Germany

-3.9

0.1

-1.6

-0.6

-1.3

-2.8

Estonia

-5.8

-5.1

-8.5

-4.2

-6.7

-3.5

Ireland

0.8

0.5

-0.1

1.5

1.2

0.1

Greece

-3.4

-6.0

-4.2

0.8

-8.9

c

Spain

1.0

2.2

3.9

2.6

0.3

1.8

France

-3.8

-2.4

0.2

-0.7

0.3

1.0

Croatia

4.4

6.0

6.8

8.5

7.9

9.2

Italy

-4.6

-2.5

-2.3

c

c

c

Cyprus

3.3

3.2

4.2

4.0

5.6

1.2

Latvia

-3.2

0.1

-0.7

1.4

-1.4

-0.3

Lithuania

-2.3

-0.5

0.3

3.3

-0.8

2.2

Luxembourg

5.8

8.8

9.5

2.2

6.5

6.9

Hungary

-7.4

-6.5

-5.4

-0.2

0.6

1.1

Malta

0.6

0.7

5.1

-0.4

1.4

2.5

Netherlands

-2.1

-0.5

-0.5

0.6

1.1

2.1

Austria

-7.5

-3.0

-2.0

-3.9

-2.3

-1.7

Poland

-0.7

0.8

-1.1

-2.7

-2.1

1.1

Portugal

0.6

-0.1

1.4

0.7

0.1

0.2

Romania

-0.6

0.8

3.4

1.5

7.5

8.7

Slovenia

-6.2

-3.8

-5.1

-3.4

-2.1

-5.6

Slovakia

-7.5

-1.3

-1.7

-3.3

1.7

4.3

Finland

-4.4

-2.7

-2.3

-1.3

-2.3

-3.7

Sweden

-5.5

-0.8

-3.5

-3.0

-3.0

-0.5

Norway

-2.1

-1.1

-1.6

-0.3

-1.1

-0.3

Switzerland

-2.9

-2.0

-1.2

-0.1

0.3

-0.2

* Calendar adjusted

c Confidential

Source dataset: sts_trtu_m

Volume of retail trade down by 0.5% in the euro area and by 0.4% in the EU (5)

Volume of retail trade, calendar and seasonally adjusted indices

(base year 2021)

Sept-23

Oct-23

Nov-23

Dec-23

Jan-24

Feb-24

Euro area

98.5

98.8

99.3

98.7

98.7

98.2

EU

98.8

99.2

99.6

99.0

99.2

98.8

Belgium

88.3

88.0

88.8

87.1

86.5

84.9

Bulgaria

106.0

106.8

107.2

106.5

107.4

108.4

Czechia

91.5

92.2

92.6

92.7

93.6

c

Denmark

92.6

93.9

96.4

94.1

92.9

92.8

Germany

95.7

96.7

96.2

95.9

95.6

93.8

Estonia

93.1

93.1

92.3

92.5

90.2

91.1

Ireland

100.6

100.7

100.7

101.6

101.8

101.6

Greece

99.1

97.0

98.1

100.3

94.5

c

Spain

104.3

104.9

106.1

105.3

104.8

105.3

France

100.6

100.5

101.8

100.7

101.7

101.4

Croatia

105.9

107.2

108.2

108.9

109.7

111.0

Italy

97.4

97.7

97.8

c

c

c

Cyprus

110.1

110.0

111.2

111.1

113.2

111.9

Latvia

100.5

103.0

103.6

104.4

103.3

104.0

Lithuania

98.6

98.8

99.8

99.9

100.5

101.2

Luxembourg

103.4

104.4

106.0

107.2

108.7

108.9

Hungary

96.3

96.1

96.9

98.3

98.3

97.7

Malta

112.5

112.7

114.1

112.9

113.0

113.4

Netherlands

99.4

99.6

100.4

100.0

101.1

101.6

Austria

95.5

94.8

95.5

93.9

94.8

94.8

Poland

107.9

108.1

107.3

106.4

106.3

107.8

Portugal

106.7

106.1

106.6

106.9

106.6

106.2

Romania

105.8

107.0

108.8

108.4

113.4

114.0

Slovenia

98.1

99.0

99.2

98.8

97.2

96.3

Slovakia

98.5

100.3

100.3

102.0

101.0

101.9

Finland

92.2

92.4

92.5

91.6

91.8

91.0

Sweden

91.9

94.2

93.0

92.5

92.6

93.0

Norway

92.2

92.5

92.8

91.9

91.9

92.0

Switzerland

97.8

97.9

98.4

98.1

98.9

98.8

c Confidential

Source dataset: sts_trtu_m

Volume of retail trade down by 0.5% in the euro area and by 0.4% in the EU (6)

Volume of retail trade, calendar adjusted indices

(base year 2021)

Sept-23

Oct-23

Nov-23

Dec-23

Jan-24

Feb-24

Euro area

95.8

99.9

102.2

115.3

92.9

87.4

EU

96.4

100.4

102.9

115.4

92.6

87.6

Belgium

84.6

90.1

90.5

102.2

84.0

74.8

Bulgaria

107.7

110.5

113.7

118.5

98.5

96.5

Czechia

88.9

94.7

105.0

114.5

84.4

c

Denmark

87.8

92.6

103.6

109.4

85.7

80.2

Germany

92.0

98.3

102.9

107.1

88.0

84.6

Estonia

92.9

94.6

93.4

104.8

81.2

77.6

Ireland

98.4

95.4

115.9

137.8

94.3

94.2

Greece

101.1

98.1

98.3

110.9

86.1

c

Spain

101.5

103.8

106.1

121.9

104.1

92.0

France

97.7

101.3

102.9

122.7

97.5

90.3

Croatia

110.8

105.8

98.9

111.8

89.2

88.8

Italy

96.1

101.1

99.8

c

c

c

Cyprus

110.3

111.2

111.9

133.7

102.0

98.4

Latvia

99.1

101.6

99.3

115.4

91.4

87.9

Lithuania

98.1

100.7

99.0

112.2

89.9

87.0

Luxembourg

103.2

107.8

109.5

123.0

104.7

99.0

Hungary

95.4

99.6

102.1

117.0

85.6

84.8

Malta

110.1

114.5

120.3

126.4

101.8

98.4

Netherlands

95.1

100.3

104.8

110.7

95.9

88.7

Austria

93.8

97.0

96.2

108.0

86.8

85.1

Poland

108.6

110.7

108.2

122.3

96.9

95.7

Portugal

104.5

105.2

107.5

128.1

97.9

91.7

Romania

107.8

109.3

114.9

122.1

100.4

98.8

Slovenia

99.0

101.7

100.9

109.6

89.4

84.1

Slovakia

96.6

102.6

103.8

113.5

91.6

93.0

Finland

90.9

92.2

93.5

104.5

80.6

75.8

Sweden

88.5

94.5

97.7

103.0

81.6

78.3

Norway

88.8

90.8

101.0

108.0

82.7

77.7

Switzerland

93.0

97.9

105.7

117.8

92.8

87.8

c Confidential

Source dataset: sts_trtu_m

Volume of retail trade down by 0.5% in the euro area and by 0.4% in the EU (7)

Notes for users

Revisions and timetable

Data of previous months have been revised compared to those issued in the News Release of 6 March 2024. The monthly percentage change for January 2024 has been revised from +0.1% to 0.0% in the euro area and from +0.3% to +0.2% in theEU. The annual percentage change has been revised from -1.0% to -0.9% in the euro area and remained unchanged at -0.6% in the EU.

Methods and definitions

The index of the volume of retail trade measures the evolution of the turnover in retail trade, adjusted for price changes (deflated), i.e. the evolution of the total amount of goods sold, based on data adjusted for calendar and seasonal effects.

Seasonally adjusted euro area and EU series are calculated by aggregating the seasonally adjusted national data.

Missing observations from Member States for recent months are estimated for the calculation of the euro area and the EU aggregates.

Starting with reference period January 2024, the base year of the data has been changed to 2021, since 2018 the base year had been 2015. More information on the reasons for and impact of the base year change can be found in the related Statistics Explained article.

Geographical information

The euro area (EA20) includes Belgium, Germany, Estonia, Ireland, Greece, Spain, France, Croatia, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Austria, Portugal, Slovenia, Slovakia and Finland.

The European Union (EU27) includes Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Ireland, Greece, Spain, France, Croatia, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Hungary, Malta, the Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Finland and Sweden.

For more information

  • Eurostat database section on short-term business statistics

  • Eurostat Statistics Explained article on the index of retail trade

  • The weights of the Member States in the EU and euro area aggregates

(See file Base year 2021 weights - Euro indicators releases)

  • Eurostat Euro indicators dashboard

  • Eurostat Euro indicators release calendar

  • European Statistics Code of Practice

Get in touch

Media requests

Eurostat Media Support

Phone: (+352) 4301 33 408

E-mail: eurostat-mediasupport@ec.europa.eu

Further information on data

E-mail: ESTAT-STS-DATA@ec.europa.eu

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' + '' + '' + '' + seriesName + '' + '' + '' + value + '' + '

'; } /** Close the tooltip content container */ tooltipContent += '

'; /** Return the formatted tooltip content */ return tooltipContent; }}/* * This content is licensed according to the W3C Software License at * https://www.w3.org/Consortium/Legal/2015/copyright-software-and-document * * File: sortable-table.js * * Desc: Adds sorting to a HTML data table that implements ARIA Authoring Practices */'use strict';class SortableTable { constructor(tableNode) { this.tableNode = tableNode; this.columnHeaders = tableNode.querySelectorAll('thead th.sortable'); this.sortColumns = []; for (var i = 0; i < this.columnHeaders.length; i++) { var ch = this.columnHeaders[i]; var buttonNode = ch.querySelector('button'); if (buttonNode) { this.sortColumns.push(i); // buttonNode.setAttribute('data-column-index', i); // buttonNode.addEventListener('click', this.handleClick.bind(this)); ch.setAttribute('data-column-index', i); ch.addEventListener('click', this.handleClick.bind(this)); } } this.optionCheckbox = document.querySelector( 'input[type="checkbox"][value="show-unsorted-icon"]' ); if (this.optionCheckbox) { this.optionCheckbox.addEventListener( 'change', this.handleOptionChange.bind(this) ); if (this.optionCheckbox.checked) { this.tableNode.classList.add('show-unsorted-icon'); } } } setColumnHeaderSort(columnIndex) { if (typeof columnIndex === 'string') { columnIndex = parseInt(columnIndex); } for (var i = 0; i < this.columnHeaders.length; i++) { var ch = this.columnHeaders[i]; var buttonNode = ch.querySelector('button'); if (i === columnIndex) { var value = ch.getAttribute('aria-sort'); if (value === 'ascending') { ch.setAttribute('aria-sort', 'descending'); this.sortColumn( columnIndex, 'descending', ch.classList.contains('num')); } else if (value === 'descending') { ch.removeAttribute('aria-sort'); this.sortColumn( columnIndex, 'initial', true ); } else { ch.setAttribute('aria-sort', 'ascending'); this.sortColumn( columnIndex, 'ascending', ch.classList.contains('num') ); } } else { if (ch.hasAttribute('aria-sort') && buttonNode) { ch.removeAttribute('aria-sort'); } } } } sortColumn(columnIndex, sortValue, isNumber) { function compareValues(a, b) { if (a.value === b.value) return 0; if (sortValue === 'descending') { return isNumber ? b.value - a.value : (a.value > b.value ? -1 : 1); } else { return isNumber ? a.value - b.value : (a.value < b.value ? -1 : 1); } } if (typeof isNumber !== 'boolean') { isNumber = false; } var tbodyNode = this.tableNode.querySelector('tbody'); var rowNodes = []; var dataCells = []; var rowNode = tbodyNode.firstElementChild; var index = 0; while (rowNode) { rowNodes.push(rowNode); var rowCells = rowNode.querySelectorAll('th, td'); var dataCell = rowCells[columnIndex]; var data = {}; data.index = index; if (sortValue !== 'initial') { data.value = dataCell.textContent.toLowerCase().trim(); } else { data.value = rowNode.getAttribute('initial-position').toLowerCase().trim(); } if (isNumber) { data.value = parseFloat(data.value); } dataCells.push(data); rowNode = rowNode.nextElementSibling; index += 1; } dataCells.sort(compareValues); // remove rows while (tbodyNode.firstChild) { tbodyNode.removeChild(tbodyNode.lastChild); } // add sorted rows for (var i = 0; i < dataCells.length; i += 1) { let pos = [dataCells[i].index]; if (sortValue === "initial") { rowNodes[pos].classList.remove("sorted"); } else { rowNodes[pos].classList.add("sorted"); } tbodyNode.appendChild(rowNodes[pos]); } } /* EVENT HANDLERS */ handleClick(event) { var tgt = event.currentTarget; this.setColumnHeaderSort(tgt.getAttribute('data-column-index')); } handleOptionChange(event) { var tgt = event.currentTarget; if (tgt.checked) { this.tableNode.classList.add('show-unsorted-icon'); } else { this.tableNode.classList.remove('show-unsorted-icon'); } }}$(document).ready(function() { load(); });;}());

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