Cyprus and Malta lead EU retail recovery, Eurostat reports

The volume of retail trade in Cyprus rose by 9.4 per cent in August 2025, compared with the same month in 2024, marking the strongest increase among all EU member states, according to Eurostat.

This robust performance placed Cyprus ahead of Malta, which recorded a 9.2 per cent rise, and Luxembourg, which saw a 7.3 per cent increase.

In contrast, the largest annual declines were observed in Romania, where retail trade fell by 3.8 per cent, followed by France with a 1.4 per cent drop and Finland with a 1.2 per cent decrease.

Across the euro area, retail trade volume increased by 1.0 per cent year-on-year, while in the EU as a whole, it rose by 1.1 per cent compared with August 2024.

Eurostat noted that food, drinks and tobacco sales in the euro area edged up by 0.1 per cent, while non-food products excluding automotive fuel climbed by 1.9 per cent, and automotive fuel sales rose by 0.8 per cent.

Within the EU, sales of non-food products grew by 2.3 per cent, while automotive fuel sales increased by 1.6 per cent. However, sales of food, drinks and tobacco declined slightly by 0.1 per cent.

On a monthly basis, Cyprus also saw a notable improvement, with retail trade volumes increasing by 1.5 per cent in August 2025 compared with July 2025, matching Malta’s performance and ranking among the top performers in the bloc.

The euro area overall registered a modest 0.1 per cent increase in retail trade compared with July 2025, while the EU as a whole remained stable during the same period.

Eurostat data showed that in the euro area, sales of food, drinks and tobacco rose by 0.3 per cent, while non-food products (excluding automotive fuel) slipped by 0.1 per cent.

Sales of automotive fuel in specialised stores increased by 0.4 per cent.

In the broader EU, food, drinks and tobacco sales rose by 0.2 per cent, non-food products fell by 0.1 per cent, and automotive fuel sales increased by 0.3 per cent.

Among member states, Lithuania recorded the highest monthly growth at 1.7 per cent, followed by Cyprus and Malta at 1.5 per cent each, and Sweden at 1.1 per cent.

The largest monthly declines were seen in Romania, down 4.0 per cent, Poland, down 0.8 per cent, and both Luxembourg and Portugal, down 0.7 per cent.

In July 2025, retail trade volumes had fallen by 0.4 per cent in the euro area and by 0.3 per cent in the EU, highlighting a modest rebound in August.

The latest figures reinforce Cyprus’s position as one of the strongest retail performers in the EU, reflecting sustained consumer demand and economic resilience despite regional volatility.