Retail sales down again in Hungary

Retail sales in Hungary fell by an annual 12.3 percent in May when adjusted for calendar year effects, the Central Statistical Office (KSH) said on Thursday.

According to unadjusted data, retail sales fell by 12.7 percent. Adjusted retail sales were down 0.8 percent on the previous month.

Adjusted food sales fell by 7.3 percent, non-food sales dropped 10.9 percent and vehicle fuel sales were 25.9 percent lower.

A detailed breakdown of the data shows adjusted retail sales fell in all types of shops, with the exception of drugstores and pharmacies where they rose by 5.4 percent.

In absolute terms, retail sales came to HUF 1,514 billion (EUR 4.0 bn). Food sales accounted for 49 percent of the total, non-food sales for 35 percent and sales at petrol stations for 16 percent.

For the period January-May, retail sales dropped by an adjusted 10.8 percent and an unadjusted 10.9 percent year-on-year. Adjusted food sales fell by 8.0 percent, non-food sales dropped 8.7 percent and vehicle fuel sales were down 21.5 percent.

Hungary industrial output down 6.9 pc in May

Output of Hungary’s industrial sector fell by 6.9 percent year-on-year in May, after a 8.3 drop in the previous month, data released by the Central Statistical Office (KSH) on Thursday show.

May output dropped by 4.6 percent when adjusted for the number of workdays. Month on month, output rose by a seasonally and workday-adjusted 1.6 percent.

Commenting on the data, Gergely Fábián, a state secretary of the Ministry of Economic Development, said industrial output was probably “past its lowest point caused by the sanctions and the sector is expected to return to a growth path later this year”. “Growth will continue to be driven by the automotive and electrical equipment sectors”, he added.

Source: MTI