Bulgaria Leads EU in Retail Growth with 7.4% Annual Increase in October

Bulgaria continues to show strong performance in retail trade, standing out among European Union countries, according to Eurostat data. While retail sales in the euro area and across the EU remained largely flat in October 2025, Bulgaria posted steady growth for the third consecutive month.

In the eurozone, retail turnover held steady in October compared with September, after a slight rise of 0.1% in the previous month. Across the EU as a whole, retail sales showed no monthly change, following a 0.2% increase in September. Within these averages, consumers slightly increased their spending on food, beverages, and tobacco - by 0.3% in the euro area and 0.4% in the EU - as well as on automotive fuels (0.3% and 0.4% respectively). In contrast, non-food retail categories saw a minor decline, falling by 0.2%.

Bulgaria’s retail sector, however, recorded a 1.0% month-on-month increase in October, following a 1.3% rise in September. Among EU member states, only Luxembourg (3.6%), Estonia (1.7%), Croatia (1.4%), and Latvia (1.1%) posted stronger monthly growth.

Year-on-year comparisons show that retail sales in the euro area rose by 1.5% and by 1.6% across the EU in October, improving slightly from September’s 1.2% and 1.5% increases. Bulgaria, in contrast, experienced an acceleration in retail sales growth, with turnover up 7.4% compared with October 2024, following a 5.7% rise in September. This represents the country’s strongest retail performance since July 2025. Among EU countries, only Cyprus exceeded Bulgaria’s year-on-year growth, registering a 9.9% increase.