SAO PAULO, Feb 19 (Reuters) - Retail sales volumes in Brazil fell 0.5 percent in December from November, the government statistics agency IBGE said on Tuesday.

Retail sales had been expected to rise 0.8 percent, according to the median estimate of 27 economists polled by Reuters. Forecasts ranged from 0.2 percent to 1.6 percent.

December's retail sales climbed 5.0 percent from a year earlier, the IBGE added, less than the 7.35 percent median estimate in the Reuters poll. Forecasts ranged from a gain of 6.0 percent to 9.6 percent.

(Reporting by Brad Haynes and Silvio Cascione; Additional reporting by Rodrigo Viga Gaier and Diogo Ferreira Gomes in Rio de Janeiro Editing W Simon) Keywords: BRAZIL ECONOMY/RETAIL

(brad.c.haynes@thomsonreuters.com)(+55 11 5644 7725)(Reuters Messaging: brad.c.haynes.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net)

COPYRIGHT

Copyright Thomson Reuters 2013. All rights reserved.

The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.