About the US retail sales growth
Retail sales growth is the 12-month change in total US retail and food services sales from the Census Bureau’s monthly survey. It covers stores, online sellers, gas stations, car dealers and restaurants, and is one of the first readings each month on consumer spending, which makes up about two thirds of the economy.
The figures are in current dollars, so part of the growth is inflation. Compare with the inflation rate to judge real growth.
Retail Sales Growth by year
| Year | Average | High | Low | December / latest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to Sep) | 4.7% | 6.7% | 2.2% | 6.3% |
| 2025 | 3.5% | 4.6% | 2.1% | 2.1% |
| 2024 | 1.1% | 3.7% | −2.1% | 3.7% |
| 2023 | 1.4% | 6.4% | −0.5% | 2.9% |
| 2022 | 9.2% | 17.5% | 4.3% | 4.3% |
| 2021 | 18.9% | 51.5% | 5.7% | 15.3% |
| 2020 | 0.7% | 6.2% | −19.5% | 4.5% |
| 2019 | 3.2% | 5.4% | 1.7% | 5.4% |
| 2018 | 4.4% | 6.4% | 1.3% | 1.3% |
| 2017 | 4.6% | 6.0% | 3.3% | 5.2% |
| 2016 | 2.7% | 3.9% | 1.7% | 3.9% |
| 2015 | 2.6% | 4.0% | 1.6% | 2.8% |
| 2014 | 4.2% | 5.3% | 1.8% | 3.7% |
| 2013 | 3.9% | 5.3% | 3.1% | 3.4% |
| 2012 | 4.9% | 6.8% | 3.3% | 4.5% |
| 2011 | 7.4% | 8.4% | 6.1% | 6.1% |
| 2010 | 5.4% | 7.9% | 2.8% | 6.9% |
| 2009 | −7.1% | 4.3% | −11.6% | 4.3% |
| 2008 | −1.2% | 3.3% | −11.4% | −11.4% |
| 2007 | 3.3% | 5.3% | 1.8% | 2.9% |
| 2006 | 5.4% | 8.8% | 3.6% | 4.8% |
| 2005 | 6.6% | 9.1% | 4.7% | 4.7% |
| 2004 | 6.2% | 8.0% | 3.9% | 8.0% |
| 2003 | 4.4% | 6.4% | 2.1% | 4.9% |
| 2002 | 2.3% | 4.6% | −2.0% | 3.7% |
| 2001 | 3.1% | 6.8% | −0.7% | 3.0% |
| 2000 | 6.6% | 9.9% | 1.9% | 1.9% |
| 1999 | 8.2% | 10.5% | 6.3% | 9.6% |
| 1998 | 4.6% | 6.6% | 2.6% | 6.6% |
| 1997 | 5.1% | 7.0% | 3.1% | 4.4% |
Monthly values. The last 30 years are shown; the chart above has the full history since January 1993.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the current US retail sales growth?
The US retail sales growth was 6.3% in September 2026, up 2.6 points from a year earlier, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
What was the highest US retail sales growth on record?
Since January 1993, the highest reading was 51.5% in April 2021 and the lowest was −19.5% in April 2020.
Where does this data come from?
The numbers are published by the U.S. Census Bureau and distributed by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis in FRED (series RSAFS). They are US government statistics in the public domain. Quotelinks checks for new data every day.
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