Hungary’s retail sales volume fell 0.4 percent in June from May on a calendar-adjusted basis, the Central Statistical Office (KSH) reported. On an annual basis, sales volume was up 4.0 percent on raw data and 3.0 percent once adjusted for calendar effects — the two measures do not agree, and the calendar-adjusted reading is the one the office treats as comparable.
Food and non-food trends
Food retail volume grew 1.8 percent year-on-year in June. Non-specialised food and beverage shops, which account for 76 percent of food retail, saw volume climb 3.7 percent over the same period. Specialty stores selling food, beverages and tobacco moved the other way, with volume down 3.8 percent on the year.
Non-food retail sales volume rose 5.1 percent year-on-year in June. Mail-order and internet retail, which made up 8.9 percent of total retail turnover, posted volume growth of 5.2 percent. Fuel station turnover volume slipped 0.2 percent over the same period.
First-half picture
Over the first six months of 2026, calendar-adjusted retail sales volume grew 4.5 percent year-on-year. Food retail rose 2.5 percent, non-food retail 5.6 percent and fuel retail 8.3 percent over the same stretch. Growth has broadly continued since 2024, though with occasional interruptions along the way.
Retail sales growth has for years lagged the growth in households’ total consumption. That gap reflects structural shifts in spending, including a move toward services and toward online or other purchasing channels not fully captured by retail statistics.
Source: Central Statistical Office (KSH)
