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Eurostat’s February 2026 Retail Report: Divergent Trends Across Europe

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

April 9, 2026

Overview Of European Retail Activity

Eurostat data show a slight decline in retail trade across the euro area and the European Union in February 2026, with uneven performance across member states. While overall volumes decreased, several markets, including Cyprus and Malta, recorded growth.

Monthly Performance Insights

Seasonally adjusted data indicate that retail trade volume fell by 0.2% in the euro area and by 0.3% in the EU compared with January 2026. January figures had remained broadly stable, suggesting that consumer activity slowed slightly at the start of the year rather than reversing sharply.

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Sector-Specific Breakdown

Category-level data show mixed performance across segments. Food, drinks, and tobacco volumes declined by 0.5% in the euro area. Non-food products excluding automotive fuel remained stable, indicating limited movement in discretionary spending. Automotive fuel sales increased by 0.7% in the euro area and 1.0% in the EU, partially offsetting declines in other categories.

Divergent National Trends

Performance varied across member states. Cyprus recorded a 0.8% increase in retail trade, matching Portugal. Malta reported the strongest monthly growth at 2.0%, followed by Bulgaria at 1.0%. At the same time, declines were recorded in Lithuania at 2.5%, Poland at 2.4%, and Slovenia at 2.0%, reflecting differences in consumer demand across markets.

Annual Trends And Market Resilience

Year-over-year data show moderate growth despite monthly declines. Retail sales increased by 1.7% in both the euro area and the EU compared with February 2025. Food, drinks, and tobacco recorded annual growth of 1.0% in the euro area. Non-food products rose by 2.3%, while automotive fuel sales increased by 1.4% in the euro area and 1.6% in the EU.

Conclusion

February data point to slower short-term retail activity alongside continued annual growth. Differences across sectors and countries suggest that consumer demand remains uneven across the region, with some markets continuing to expand while others contract.

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Women Accounted For More Than Half Of Scientists In 10 EU Regions

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

November 10, 2026

In Portugal’s Continente region, 265,100 women worked as scientists and engineers in 2025, representing 46% of the total workforce in these occupations.

Across the EU, women made up more than half of all scientists and engineers in 10 regions. Four were located in Spain, two in Portugal and one in Greece. The remaining regions were Poland’s Makroregion centralny, Sweden’s northernmost region and France’s outermost regions.

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Most of these areas had relatively small numbers of scientists and engineers overall. Spain’s Noreste region was the largest, with 102,700 women in these occupations, accounting for 51% of its total workforce.

Women’s Representation Varies Across Europe

The figures highlight considerable regional differences in both the number of women working in science and engineering and their share of the overall workforce.

Cyprus remains below the EU average, with women accounting for 37.8% of scientists and engineers. However, this share is broadly comparable to that of Île-de-France, one of Europe’s largest centres of scientific and engineering employment.