site.btaBulgaria Posts EU’s Highest Annual Retail Sales Growth in March

Bulgaria recorded the highest annual increase in retail sales in the European Union in March 2026, with retail trade volume rising by 12.4% compared with the same month of 2025, according to seasonally adjusted and calendar-adjusted preliminary data released by Eurostat on Thursday.

On a monthly basis, compared with February, retail sales in Bulgaria also increased, by 2.1%, following growth of 2.2% in February. In January, Bulgarian retailers reported a decline of 0.4%.

At EU level, retail trade volume in March increased by 0.3% compared with the previous month, while the euro area recorded a decline of 0.1%.

In February, retail sales decreased both in the EU and the euro area, by 0.5% and 0.3%, respectively.

On an annual basis, retail sales increased by 1.9% in the EU and by 1.2% in the euro area.

Among the Member States for which data are available, Bulgaria was followed by Hungary with annual retail sales growth of 8.2%, Malta with 7.5%, and Denmark with 6.9%.

Annual declines were recorded only in Romania, by 2.3%, and Germany, by 2%.