German retail sales, a closely watched measure of household confidence, unexpectedly fell 2.3 percent in June, provisional official data showed Friday.

Analysts polled by the financial services provider Factset had forecast the volatile indicator would stay unchanged for the month in Europe's biggest economy.

A rise in retail sales in May was revised slightly down to 0.4 percent from 0.5 percent compared with April, the federal statistics office Destatis said in a statement.

On a 12-month basis, business improved, with Germany retail sales rising 5.1 percent in June compared with the same month last year, the statisticians calculated.