Hungary Retail Sales Rise in May

Retail sales in Hungary rose by 4.8% year-on-year in May 2026, accelerating from a 3.6% increase in the previous month. Sales growth strengthened in non-food products (7.4% vs 2.6% in April), including manufactured goods in non-specialized shops (5.2% vs 0.0%), furniture and electrical goods (5.3% vs 4.6%), computer equipment and other goods (2.4% vs 1.8%), pharmaceutical and medical goods and cosmetic articles (9.1% vs 7.7%), and mail-order and online sales (14.5% vs 2.7%), while textiles, clothing, and footwear returned to growth (7.3% vs -2.7%). Meanwhile, turnover growth in food products slowed (3.2% vs 3.4%), driven by softer activity in non-specialized food and beverage shops (4.7% vs 5.2%). Automotive fuel sales also rose at a slower pace (8.4% vs 9.1%). On a seasonally adjusted monthly basis, retail trade increased by 0.7% in May, rebounding from a 1.2% contraction in the previous month.

Retail sales in Hungary rose by 3.6% year-on-year in April 2026, easing from a slightly downwardly revised 8.1% increase in the previous month. This marked the softest growth in retail activity since January, largely driven by significantly slower increase in sales for automotive fuel (9.1% vs 20.6% in March). Turnover in the non-food sector also rose at a lesser extent (2.6% vs 8.4%), due to declines in textile, clothing and footwear (-2.7% vs 4.5%), books, newspapers, stationery (-0.8% vs -4.4%), and second-hand products (-4% vs 4.4%). Meanwhile, revenues increased further for food products (3.4% vs 2.8%), particularly for food-related mixed stores (5.2% vs 4.4%), which partially offset decrease in food, beverage and tobacco (-2.7% vs -2.5%). On a seasonally adjusted monthly basis, retail activity fell by 1.2% in April after rising 1.9% in March. For the first four months of the year, total retail sales exceeded the same period of the previous year by 4.8%.

Retail sales in Hungary rose by 8.2% year-on-year in March 2026 from 3.8% in the previous month. This marked the highest reading since May 2022, driven by a surge in sales of automotive fuel (20.6% vs 6.4% in February) and non-food products (8.4% vs 5.0%), particularly miscellaneous industrial goods (10.2% vs 4.9%), furniture and electrical goods (7.3% vs 2.0%), books, computer equipment, and other goods (9.1% vs 2.6%), pharmaceutical and medical goods and cosmetic articles (6.5% vs 2.5%), and mail-order and online sales (10.5% vs 8.9%). At the same time, sales of food products increased at a faster pace (2.6% vs 2.2%), supported by a slower decline in specialized food and beverage stores (-2.7% vs -4.3%). On a seasonally adjusted monthly basis, retail trade grew by 1.9% in March, accelerating from a 0.4% increase in the previous period.