Wholesale Trade in Romania Declined by 3.0% in 2024 Compared to 2023

According to the latest data, the turnover of wholesale trade (excluding motor vehicles and motorcycles) in December 2024 decreased by 7.7% as gross series and 0.1% as seasonally adjusted series compared to November 2024.

Year-over-year, the December 2024 wholesale trade turnover declined by 10.2% as gross series and 11.7% as seasonally adjusted series compared to December 2023.

For the entire year 2024, the wholesale trade turnover decreased by 3.0% compared to 2023.

December 2024 vs. November 2024

In December 2024, compared to November 2024, the wholesale trade turnover (gross series) declined by 7.7%, primarily due to decreases in:

• Wholesale of specialized other products (-19.3%)
• Non-specialized wholesale trade (-15.8%)
• Wholesale of information and communication equipment (-12.5%)
• Wholesale trade intermediation activities (-11.9%)
• Wholesale of non-food consumer goods (-9.4%)
• Wholesale of raw agricultural products and live animals (-2.5%)

However, growth was recorded in:

• Wholesale of food, beverages, and tobacco (+6.0%)
• Wholesale of other machinery, equipment, and supplies (+5.8%)

The seasonally adjusted series showed a slight overall decline of 0.1% compared to November 2024.

December 2024 vs. December 2023

Compared to December 2023, the wholesale trade turnover (gross series) in December 2024 decreased by 10.2%, mainly due to:

• Wholesale of raw agricultural products and live animals (-52.8%)
• Wholesale trade intermediation activities (-8.8%)
• Wholesale of information and communication equipment (-7.7%)
• Wholesale of non-food consumer goods (-6.7%)
• Wholesale of specialized other products (-4.8%)
• Wholesale of other machinery, equipment, and supplies (-1.1%)

In contrast, the following sectors saw growth:

• Non-specialized wholesale trade (+12.3%)
• Wholesale of food, beverages, and tobacco (+7.4%)

The seasonally adjusted series recorded an overall decrease of 11.7% in December 2024 compared to December 2023.

Full-Year 2024 vs. 2023

In 2024, the wholesale trade turnover (gross series) fell by 3.0% compared to 2023, primarily due to declines in:

• Wholesale of raw agricultural products and live animals (-27.8%)
• Wholesale of non-food consumer goods (-6.4%)
• Wholesale trade intermediation activities (-5.2%)
• Wholesale of other machinery, equipment, and supplies (-0.1%)

However, the following categories recorded increases:

• Non-specialized wholesale trade (+15.3%)
• Wholesale of information and communication equipment (+7.6%)
• Wholesale of specialized other products (+5.3%)
• Wholesale of food, beverages, and tobacco (+1.7%)