Volume of retail trade in Malta down by 0.1%

When compared to March 2016, the total retail trade registered last month in Malta decreased by  0.1%. Malta followed Germany, with a decrease of 0.9%, and Finland, whose decrease was 1.2%.

EU member states which registered the highest increase from March 2016 to April 2016include Denmark, whose retail trade marked a 4.5% increase, Poland with 3.7% and Romania with 2.8%.

Overall, the volume of the retail trade in the euro area in April 2016 remained stable when compared to March 2016, due to a 0.5% rise for “Food, drinks and tobacco”, a 0.1% decrease in automotive fuel, and non-food products remaining stable.

In the EU28, there was a 0.5% increase in the volume of retail trade is due to a 0.7% rises for non-food products, a 0.5% rise for “Food, drinks and tobacco” and of 0.1% for automotive fuel.

In March 2016 the retail trade volume had fallen by 0.6% in both zones.

Carrying out an annual comparison between April 2016 and April 2015, the retail sales index showed an increase of 1.4% in the euro area and of 2.4% in the EU28.

The 1.4% increase in the volume of retail trade in the euro area in April 2016 is a result of the 2.2% rises for automotive fuel, the 1.9% rise for non-food products and the 0.8% rise for “Food, drinks and tobacco”.

In the EU28, the 2.4% increase is due to the 3.1% rise for automotive fuel, the 2.9% rise for non-food products and the 1.9% rise for “Food, drinks and tobacco”.

Among member states, the highest increases in total retail trade in this period were observed in Romania with 20.1%, Luxembourg with 16.7% and Poland with 6.6%, while decreases were observed in Belgium with 2.3% and Germany with 0.6%.

These statistics were gathered by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.