The latest data from the Croatian Bureau of Statistics confirm an exceptionally strong end of the year for domestic retailers.

Real retail trade turnover in December 2025 recorded growth on both a monthly and annual basis, continuing the positive trend that has lasted uninterrupted for almost three full years. This figure indicates stable purchasing power among citizens and the optimism that marked the holiday period.

Continuity of growth and the holiday surge in December

Domestic consumption continues to set record streaks, given that December 2025 was the 33rd consecutive month in which real annual turnover growth was achieved. When we talk about real growth, it is important to note that this is an indicator from which the impact of price changes has been excluded, meaning that citizens actually bought a larger quantity of goods than in the same period of the previous year.

Compared with December 2024, turnover increased in real terms by 4.8%. If we look exclusively at movements within 2025 itself, the data show that December brought a jump of 1.7% compared with November, which is attributed to the usual increase in holiday shopping. Throughout 2025, Croatian retail achieved real growth of 3.6% compared with the previous year, confirming that this is not a short-lived flash, but a stable economic trend.

What did citizens buy the most?

Analysis by sector reveals that in December demand grew in all categories. Food, beverages and tobacco products recorded real annual growth of 4.0%. An even stronger increase of 5.6% was achieved in the category of non-food products, which includes clothing, electronics and household items.

It is also interesting to observe the so-called nominal growth, which amounts to 6.8% year-on-year. The nominal amount represents the total quantity of money that passed through cash registers, without adjustment for inflation. In that context, the largest contribution to the overall result came from non-specialized stores predominantly selling food, with nominal growth of 7.8%. However, in percentage terms, pharmacies and stores selling medical, cosmetic and toiletry products led the way the most, recording an impressive turnover jump of 15.3% compared with the same month in 2024.

The difference between real and nominal

For the average reader, statistical terms may sound complicated, but their meaning is actually very simple. Nominal turnover tells us exactly how many euros were spent in stores. However, that figure can be misleading if product prices have meanwhile risen significantly. That is why statisticians use the real index, which they obtain by stripping the nominal amount of the impact of inflation.

So, when we say that turnover increased in real terms by 4.8%, that is clear proof that shoppers put more physical items in their baskets or bought more expensive devices, and not that they simply paid more for the same quantity of goods because of price increases. Also, the data are often seasonally and calendar adjusted in order to avoid incorrect interpretations due to different numbers of working days or holidays in different months, thereby providing a more precise picture of the actual state of the economy.

Consumption as the engine of the economy

Double-digit growth in pharmacies and cosmetics, along with a steady increase in the purchase of food products, suggests that Croatian consumers continue to prioritize health and personal care, but are not saving on the holiday table either. The fact that consumption growth has continued for 33 months without interruption sends a strong message about the resilience of the domestic market. As long as this trend continues, retail trade will remain one of the key pillars on which the stability of Croatia’s gross domestic product rests. Still, it will be interesting to monitor whether this momentum will be maintained in the first months of 2026, when the holiday euphoria subsides.