Unadjusted data showed growth of 6.3% in August year on year, while growth for the first eight months of the year was 3.6% unadjusted, and 4.9% adjusted.
Growth in the non-food product sector was most dynamic in August, at 6.2%. The drivers of growth within this category were cosmetics, books and newspapers, furniture, and clothing. Meanwhile, growth in the food, beverages and tobacco sector was well below average in August, coming in at 3.7% year on year.
Sales of vehicles, parts and automotive fuel, which are not included in headline retail data, recorded lower growth in August compared to the past four months, at 10.4%, although sales were significantly higher than in the same month last year, KSH said.
Results in Hungary compare favorably to data released by Eurostat, the statistical office of the EU, which estimates August growth in the EU-25 at just 2.2% year on year. Hungary's regional competitors, however, reached significantly higher growth in August, led by Latvia (22.6%), Lithuania (14%), Slovenia (13.8%), and Slovakia (11.6%).
