KIEV, Jan. 18 - Ukrainian retail sales rose 23% in all of 2005, compared with the previous year, as the government increased social payments such as pensions and wages, the state statistics committee reported.

Retail sales totaled at 92 bln hryvnias ($18 bln), compared with 74.4 bln hryvnias ($14.8 bln) in 2004, the committee reported.