United States Retail Sales YoY

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

Retail Sales YoY in the United States decreased to 0.83 percent in Sep 2025 from 1.52 percent in Aug 2025.

0.8%
▼ −0.7 ppSep 2025 · previous 1.5%Monthly · percent · Source: OECD — Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

United States Retail Sales YoY — History

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United States Retail Sales YoY — analysis in simple words

Latest reading

Retail Sales YoY in the United States decreased to 0.83 percent in Sep 2025 from 1.52 percent in Aug 2025.

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

Recent trend

A year earlier (Sep 2024) it was -0.8%, so the latest figure is 1.6 percentage points higher.

Over the past five years the average was 2.6%, with a range from -4.2% to 40.6%. The latest value is below that five-year average.

Historical context

This data series starts in Jan 1956 and has 837 monthly observations. The latest reading is higher than 35% of all of them.

The highest value on record is 40.6% (Apr 2021) and the lowest is -15.7% (Apr 2020). The long-run average is 1.9%.

Compared with other countries

Among 38 economies with recent data, United States ranks 27th from the top. The median across all these economies is 2.2%, so United States is below the typical country.

Among 13 major economies tracked on this site it ranks 8th.

Statistics

Latest
0.8%Sep 2025
Previous
1.5%
5-year average
2.6%
Long-run average
1.9%since Jan 1956
All-time high
40.6%Apr 2021
All-time low
-15.7%Apr 2020
Observations
837Monthly

Recent Data

PeriodValueChange
Sep 20250.8%▼ −0.7 pp
Aug 20251.5%▲ +0.4 pp
Jul 20251.1%▲ +0.3 pp
Jun 20250.8%▲ +0.5 pp
May 20250.3%▼ −2.1 pp
Apr 20252.4%▼ −0.1 pp
Mar 20252.5%▲ +1.4 pp
Feb 20251.1%▼ −0.3 pp
Jan 20251.4%▼ −0.3 pp
Dec 20241.7%▲ +0.6 pp
Nov 20241.1%▲ +0.8 pp
Oct 20240.3%▲ +1.1 pp
Sep 2024-0.8%▲ +0.4 pp
Aug 2024-1.2%▼ −1.0 pp
Jul 2024-0.1%▲ +0.9 pp
Jun 2024-1.0%▼ −0.2 pp
May 2024-0.8%▲ +0.5 pp
Apr 2024-1.3%▼ −0.8 pp
Mar 2024-0.5%▲ +1.4 pp
Feb 2024-1.9%▲ +1.6 pp
Jan 2024-3.5%▼ −4.6 pp
Dec 20231.1%▲ +1.2 pp
Nov 2023-0.1%▲ +1.3 pp
Oct 2023-1.4%▼ −1.1 pp
Sep 2023-0.3%▲ +1.0 pp
Aug 2023-1.3%▲ +0.2 pp
Jul 2023-1.5%▲ +0.9 pp
Jun 2023-2.5%▲ +0.4 pp
May 2023-2.9%▲ +1.3 pp
Apr 2023-4.2%

Retail Sales YoY — United States vs Peers

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

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More United States 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 1956 to Sep 2025. 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 United States?
United States retail sales yoy was 0.8% in Sep 2025, compared with 1.5% in the previous period, according to OECD — Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
What is the highest and lowest retail sales yoy of United States?
Since Jan 1956, the highest reading was 40.6% (Apr 2021) and the lowest was -15.7% (Apr 2020).
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.