Retail Trade Continued to Slow in June, Annual Growth Fell to 0.4%
Service activities recorded a monthly decline of 0.3 percent in May, while annual growth stood at 5.8 percent, announced the Croatian Bureau of Statistics (DZS) and Financije.hr.
Service activities recorded a monthly decline of 0.3 percent in May, while annual growth stood at 5.8 percent, announced the Croatian Bureau of Statistics (DZS) and Financije.hr.
Domestic retail trade spending in June 2026 grew by only 0.4 percent year-on-year, marking the third consecutive month of slowing growth, according to data from the Croatian Bureau of Statistics (DZS) reported on Thursday by Novi list, Forbes Hrvatska, and HRT. Despite this, retail trade has recorded growth for 39 consecutive months, but the pace is declining: 3.3 percent in March, 2.0 percent in April, and 0.5 percent in May.
According to calendar-adjusted data, retail trade turnover in June increased by 1.5 percent in real terms compared to May 2026. On an annual basis, the largest growth was recorded in food, beverages, and tobacco products (2.9 percent), non-food products (excluding fuel) rose by 1.5 percent, while motor fuel and lubricant turnover fell by 12.9 percent. On a monthly basis, the situation was different: fuels rose by 3.3 percent, food by 2.5 percent, and non-food products by 2.9 percent.
In the first six months of 2026, calendar-adjusted retail trade turnover was 1.9 percent higher in real terms compared to the same period last year, Novi list reported. Consumption, as the largest component of gross domestic product (GDP), slowing for the third consecutive month could indicate further cooling of the economy. In the first quarter of 2026, GDP grew by 2.2 percent year-on-year, marking the 21st consecutive quarter of growth, but significantly slower than the previous quarter when growth was 3.6 percent.
Data on service activities, published on Thursday by Financije.hr citing the DZS, show that in May 2026, total seasonally and calendar-adjusted turnover fell by 0.3 percent compared to April. The largest monthly decline was recorded in office administrative and support activities (11.7 percent), air transport (4.9 percent), and publishing activities (3.3 percent). On the other hand, the highest monthly increase was in water transport (14.4 percent), postal and courier activities (7.6 percent), and other professional, scientific, and technical activities (7.1 percent).
A comparison with the same month last year paints a brighter picture: total calendar-adjusted turnover grew by 5.8 percent. Leading the way were film, video, and television program production (28.4 percent), real estate activities (17.7 percent), and postal and courier activities (16.2 percent). Annual declines were recorded in management consultancy (9.8 percent), office administrative activities (7.3 percent), and architectural and engineering activities (6.2 percent).
In the first five months of 2026, calendar-adjusted turnover of service activities increased by 6.2 percent compared to the same period last year.
