In December 2006, compared to December 2005, the volume of retail trade1 grew by 2.1% in the euro area (EZ12)2 and by 3.3% in the EU252. Compared to November 20063, the retail sales index rose by 0.3% in the euro area and by 0.7% in the EU25.
The average volume of retail trade index for 2006, compared to 2005, increased by 1.4% in the euro area and by 2.4% in the EU25.

Annual changes
In December 2006, compared to December 2005, retail trade of “food, drinks and tobacco” grew by 0.1% in the euro area and by 1.4% in the EU25. The non food sector increased by 3.3% and by 4.6% respectively.
Among the Member States for which data are available, total retail trade rose in Latvia (+27.2%), Estonia (+19.1%), Poland (+12.3%), Sweden (+11.0%), Lithuania (+7.3%), Slovakia (+6.5%), Finland (+5.9%), Spain (+4.5%), the United Kingdom (+4.4%), Denmark (+4.3%), Austria (+3.7%), Luxembourg (+2.8%), France (+2.4%), Germany (+1.8%) and Portugal (+0.5%), while falls were recorded in Belgium (-3.9%) and Slovenia
(-2.5%).

Monthly changes
In December 2006, compared with November 2006, “food, drinks and tobacco” grew by 0.3% in the euro area and by 0.5% in the EU25. The non food sector gained 0.3% and 0.9% respectively.
Among the Member States for which data are available, total retail trade increased in Latvia (+6.4%), Poland (+5.3%), Austria (+2.6%), Sweden (+2.5%), Germany (+2.4%), Luxembourg (+2.3%), Estonia (+1.9%), Lithuania (+1.5%), the United Kingdom (+1.4%), Denmark (+0.8%), Portugal (+0.7%), Finland (+0.5%), Spain and France (both +0.3%), while falls were recorded in Slovenia (-1.8%), Slovakia (-1.4%) and Belgium (-0.3%).

These first estimates come from Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities.