July 26 (Reuters) - German truckmaker Traton on Friday posted a 7% rise in first-half operating profit buoyed by higher prices, even as demand remained lacklustre in Europe.

Operating profit rose to 2.1 billion euros ($2.28 billion) on sales revenue up 2% to 23.4 billion euros, while unit sales fell 5%.

Traton's operating margin rose to 9.1% from 8.6% a year earlier.

South America, where Traton made a quarter of its sales last year, was a bright spot for the group.

The operating margin at Traton's Volkswagen Truck & Bus brand, which operates there, rose the most of all Traton's brands, to 11.8% from 9.3%.

Improved "unit price realisation" in Brazil was behind the rise, Traton said.

Truckmakers are raising prices in an attempt to boost margins as demand slows after pent-up pandemic demand waned.

Price rises at peer Volvo AB helped it beat second-quarter operating margin and profit expectations last week.

Traton confirmed its guidance for the year.

($1 = 0.9211 euros) (Reporting by Louis van Boxel-Woolf and Eva Orsolya Papp; editing by Jamie Freed and Jason Neely)