In December 2023 Croatia was again among the EU countries with the largest increase in retail sales, show data from the EU's statistical office Eurostat.

In December 2023 compared with December 2022, the calendar adjusted retail sales index decreased by 0.8% in the euro area and by 0.7% in the EU.

The volume of retail trade dropped the most for automotive fuels, -6.2% in the euro area and -6.3% in the EU. It was followed by the volume of retail trade in food, drinks and tobacco, which dropped by 1% in the euro area, and by 0.7% in the EU.

The retail trade of non-food products increased, by 0.1% in the euro area and by 0.4% in the EU.

Croatia with largest y-o-y increase

Slovenia saw the largest year-on-year drop in the volume of retail trade, of 15%. It was followed by Estonia (-4.2%) and Slovakia (-3.8%).

Croatia saw the largest year-on-year increase in the volume of retail trade in December 2023, of 8.9%. In November its volume of retail trade grew by 6.4%.

Cyprus and Spain follow, with an increase in the volume of retail sales of 3.8% and 3.4% respectively.

Compared to November 2023, the volume of retail sales in the euro area dropped by 1.1%, and in the EU it went down by 1%. The volume of retail sales dropped the most for food, drinks and tobacco, -1.6% in the euro area and -1.8% in the EU.

Croatia, Hungary with same m-o-m increase in volume of retail trade

The largest m-o-m drop in the volume of retail sales, according to seasonally adjusted data, was reported by Slovenia, -3.6%.

It was followed by Denmark (-3.2%) and Luxembourg (-3.1%).

Month-on-month the volume of retail sales grew the most in Slovakia (+2.0%).

It was followed by Croatia and Hungary, which both saw a 1.4% increase in the volume of retail sales from the previous month.

In November 2023 Croatia was among the countries with the strongest increase in the volume of retail sales, of 2%.