Malta has reversed a decline in retail trade that had been registered four months in a row, with November figures showing a rise over the same month of the previous year.

The increase was in line with that of the euro area but below that of the European Union as a whole.

Weighed against the figures of November of 2013, the retail sales index in the eurozone last November increased by 1.5 per cent and in the EU by 2.6 per cent.

The rise in volumes was mainly due to increases in the non-food and automotive fuel sectors.

Volumes in Malta were up by 1.5 per cent in the same period, according the Eurostat.

After an increase of 0.6 per cent last June when compared to the same month of the previous year, local retail trade had recorded drops of 1.7 per cent in July, 3.2 per cent in August, 0.9 per cent in September and six per cent in October.

Among the European member states, the highest increases were observed in Luxembourg with nearly 11 per cent, Estonia with nine per cent and Romania with 8.2 per cent, while decreases of nearly 2.5 per cent were observed in Finland and Austria.

Meanwhile, compared to the volume of retail trade in the previous October, November’s rose by 0.6 per cent in the euro area and 0.8 per cent in the EU when compared to that of the previous month.

Again, this was because of rises in the non-food and automotive fuel sectors.

The highest increases were registered in Portugal with three per cent and Poland with 2.3 per cent, while Malta saw a 1.8 per cent month-on-month increase after a drop of 0.9 per cent in October.