Retail sales in Hungary rose by 4.8% year-on-year in May 2026, picking up from a 3.6% increase in April. Growth strengthened markedly in the non-food segment (7.4% vs 2.6% in April), with higher sales of manufactured goods in non-specialized stores (5.2% vs 0.0%), furniture and electrical goods (5.3% vs 4.6%), computer equipment and other goods (2.4% vs 1.8%), pharmaceutical and medical products and cosmetics (9.1% vs 7.7%), as well as mail-order and online retail (14.5% vs 2.7%). Textiles, clothing, and footwear also returned to growth (7.3% vs -2.7%).
By contrast, turnover growth in food products eased to 3.2% from 3.4%, reflecting weaker sales in non-specialized food and beverage stores (4.7% vs 5.2%). Automotive fuel sales also expanded at a slower pace (8.4% vs 9.1%). On a seasonally adjusted month-on-month basis, retail trade increased by 0.7% in May, rebounding from a 1.2% decline in the previous month.
