In December, Malta registered the third highest decrease in retail trade in the EU,  Eurostat reported yesterday.

Among Member States for which data are available, the highest increases in total retail trade were observed in Luxembourg (+9.2%), Spain (+6.6%) and Bulgaria (+6.4%), while decreases were observed in Finland (-2.6%), Slovenia (-2.5%) and Malta (-1.4%).

In December 2014 compared with November 2014, the seasonally adjusted volume of retail trade rose by 0.3% in both the euro area (EA18) and the EU28, according to estimates from Eurostat.

In November3 retail trade rose by 0.7% and 0.9% respectively.

In December 2014 compared with December 20134 the retail sales index increased by 2.8% in the euro area and by 3.2% in the EU28.

The average of retail trade for the year 2014, compared with 2013, rose by 1.3% in the euro area and by 1.9% in the EU28.

Among Member States for which data are available, the highest increases in total retail trade were registered in Ireland (+1.8%), Austria (+1.6%), Spain and Slovakia (both +1.1%), and the largest decreases in Portugal (-3.8%), Estonia (-1.7%), Denmark and Slovenia (both -1.5%).