Bulgaria had EU’s second-highest annual increase in retail trade in May 2026

Bulgaria had the European Union’s second-highest increase on an annual basis of volume of retail trade in May 2026, EU statistics agency Eurostat said on July 6.

On an annual basis, the volume of retail trade in Bulgaria in May 2026 was 7.9 per cent higher than in May 2025, Eurostat said.

This followed increases, on an annual basis, of 7.4 per cent in April, 12.4 per cent in March, 7.3 per cent in February and 4.2 per cent in January.

Eurostat said that among EU member states for which data are available, the highest annual increases in the total retail trade volume were recorded in Cyprus (8.4 per cent), Bulgaria (7.9 per cent) and Luxembourg (7.8 per cent).

Decreases were observed in Romania (-4.0 per cent), Estonia (-0.5 per cent) and Belgium (-0.4 per cent).

The statistics agency said that in the euro area in May 2026, compared with May 2025, the volume of retail trade increased for food, drinks, tobacco by 2.4 per cent; increased for non-food products (except automotive fuel) by 2.3 per cent; and decreased for automotive fuel in specialised stores by 4.6 per cent.

In the EU, the volume of retail trade increased for food, drinks, tobacco by 1.9 per cent; increased for non-food products (except automotive fuel) by 2.8 per cent; and decreased for automotive fuel in specialised stores by 2.9 per cent.

(Photo: Vera Reis/ sxc.hu)