By Smbat Grigoryan
YEREVAN. – From January to May, retail trade in Armenia decreased by 7.9 percent, on an annual basis. Moreover, the dynamics of the months of the current year are not encouraging.
We need to consider, however, that these negative trends were already observed from January to May last year, and therefore it turns out that the respective regress has just increased this year.
According to the Central Bank of Armenia data, individuals’ January-April remittances to the country have dropped by 2.5% percent, on an annual basis; but in US dollars. If we convert this amount to Armenian drams, however, the amount of decline reaches 0.4 percent.
And when we look at the dynamics of the balance of these remittances, the “picture” changes even more drastically. Accordingly, the net January-April inflow has reduced by virtually 20 percent.
Judging by official data, the solvency of Armenia’s population has increased in terms of salaries. Real wages have risen by 5.2 percent.
According to the April data, the number of permanent residents of the country has decreased by 0.5 percent, on an annual basis.
In addition, retail trade has fallen in all types of commercial facilities in Armenia.
