Sweden Retail Sales YoY

Year-on-year change in the volume of retail trade.

Retail Sales YoY in Sweden increased to 7.44 percent in Aug 2026 from 6.65 percent in Jul 2026.

7.4%
▲ +0.8 ppAug 2026 · previous 6.7%Monthly · percent · Source: OECD — Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

Sweden Retail Sales YoY — History

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Sweden Retail Sales YoY — analysis in simple words

Latest reading

Retail Sales YoY in Sweden increased to 7.44 percent in Aug 2026 from 6.65 percent in Jul 2026.

Over the last three months it rose once and fell twice.

Recent trend

A year earlier (Aug 2025) it was 3.6%, so the latest figure is 3.8 percentage points higher.

Over the past five years the average was 0.5%, with a range from -8.9% to 8.2%. The latest value is above that five-year average.

Historical context

This data series starts in Jan 1985 and has 500 monthly observations. The latest reading is higher than 97% of all of them.

The highest value on record is 10.9% (May 2021) and the lowest is -9.5% (May 1992). The long-run average is 2.1%.

Compared with other countries

Among 38 economies with recent data, Sweden ranks 2nd from the top. The median across all these economies is 2.2%, so Sweden is above the typical country.

Within Europe & Central Asia (29 economies with data) it ranks 2nd; the regional median is 3.0%.

Statistics

Latest
7.4%Aug 2026
Previous
6.7%
5-year average
0.5%
Long-run average
2.1%since Jan 1985
All-time high
10.9%May 2021
All-time low
-9.5%May 1992
Observations
500Monthly

Recent Data

PeriodValueChange
Aug 20267.4%▲ +0.8 pp
Jul 20266.7%▼ −0.5 pp
Jun 20267.1%▼ −1.0 pp
May 20268.2%▲ +3.6 pp
Apr 20264.6%▼ −1.7 pp
Mar 20266.2%▲ +4.2 pp
Feb 20262.0%▼ −1.9 pp
Jan 20263.9%▲ +1.5 pp
Dec 20252.4%▼ −4.4 pp
Nov 20256.8%▲ +2.3 pp
Oct 20254.5%▲ +0.2 pp
Sep 20254.3%▲ +0.6 pp
Aug 20253.6%▲ +0.8 pp
Jul 20252.9%▲ +0.3 pp
Jun 20252.6%▲ +3.7 pp
May 2025-1.2%▼ −5.4 pp
Apr 20254.2%▲ +1.7 pp
Mar 20252.5%▲ +2.7 pp
Feb 2025-0.2%▼ −3.5 pp
Jan 20253.3%▼ −0.8 pp
Dec 20244.0%▲ +2.7 pp
Nov 20241.3%▲ +2.1 pp
Oct 2024-0.8%▼ −2.7 pp
Sep 20241.8%▲ +1.4 pp
Aug 20240.4%▲ +0.4 pp
Jul 20240.0%▲ +0.5 pp
Jun 2024-0.5%▼ −1.4 pp
May 20240.9%▲ +1.5 pp
Apr 2024-0.6%▼ −0.5 pp
Mar 2024-0.1%

Retail Sales YoY — Sweden vs Peers

Latest available reading for each economy (periods may differ). Sweden highlighted.

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More Sweden indicators

Understanding Retail Sales YoY — a simple guide

What it measures

The year-on-year change in the volume of retail trade — goods sold to households by shops and online stores, adjusted for price changes.

How it is calculated

Retail trade volume index this month ÷ the same month last year − 1, × 100.

Simple example

If shoppers bought 3% more goods (after removing price changes) than a year ago, retail sales growth is 3%.

▲ When it is high or rising

Strong retail sales reflect healthy consumer spending.

▼ When it is low or falling

Weak or negative sales point to cautious households.

Why it matters for the economy and markets

Retail sales are a direct, timely measure of consumer spending, the largest part of most economies.

How to read it

Monthly data can be affected by holidays, weather and festivals. Volume data removes price changes, so it shows how much more (or less) people actually bought.

What to look at alongside it

Consumer confidence, inflation and wages.

Key terms

Volume
Quantity sold, after removing price changes.

Data source

OECD — Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (series OECD retail trade volume), monthly data from Jan 1985 to Aug 2026. Values are shown exactly as published by the source and may be revised later.

How to use the chart

Use the 5Y / 10Y / 25Y / Max buttons to change the time range, or drag the slider under the chart. Hover (or tap) on the line to see the exact value for any period. Dashed lines and hatched bars are IMF projections, not actual data. The “Download CSV” button gives you the full data series.

Frequently asked questions

What is the current retail sales yoy of Sweden?
Sweden retail sales yoy was 7.4% in Aug 2026, compared with 6.7% in the previous period, according to OECD — Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
What is the highest and lowest retail sales yoy of Sweden?
Since Jan 1985, the highest reading was 10.9% (May 2021) and the lowest was -9.5% (May 1992).
What does retail sales yoy measure?
The year-on-year change in the volume of retail trade — goods sold to households by shops and online stores, adjusted for price changes.

Data are sourced from official international organisations (IMF, World Bank, BIS) and national authorities, and are shown for educational and informational purposes only. They are not investment advice and no recommendation is made. Figures may be revised by the source; IMF figures for the current and future years are projections. This page was last updated on Saturday, October 17, 2026.