Feb 19 (Reuters) - Australia's Ampol Ltd posted a 1.1% rise in annual profit on Monday on the strong performance of its non-refining divisions, including its Australian convenience retail business and Z Energy.

Ampol, the country's top fuel supplier, benefited from improved demand especially for jet fuel for the year ended Dec. 31, along with growth in wholesale sales volumes at Z Energy which was included in its New Zealand segment.

Overall retail fuel margins also improved in 2023, as sales of bakery, snacks, beverages and confectionery grew.

"We continued to grow our Petrol and Convenience earnings, delivering another strong performance in Convenience Retail," Chief Executive Officer Matt Halliday said.

"We benefited from a full 12 months’ contribution from Z Energy including benefits and synergies as a result of the acquisition by Ampol."

The fuel retailer said its annual net profit after tax from continuing operations rose marginally to A$740.1 million ($482.84 million) on a replacement cost (RC) basis, compared with A$732.3 million reported the previous year.

Ampol declared a final dividend of 120 Australian (AU) cents per share, up from 105 AU cents per share the previous year. It also declared a special dividend of 60 AU cents per share.

($1 = 1.5328 Australian dollars) (Reporting by Rajasik Mukherjee & Sherin Sunny in Bengaluru; Editing by Angus MacSwan and Chris Reese)