The All-Island Research Observatory (AIRO) has taken European Car Registration data courtesy of European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) and generated an interactive table that summarises new car registration data over a twenty year period.
The interactive table provides details on the following:
- Number Passenger Car Registrations 1991-2012
- Number Registrations Per 1,000 Population 1991-2012
- Population 1991-2012 (Eurostat)
The table allows users to analyse car registrations across 28 different countries (EU27 and Iceland) which provides us with an interesting performance timeline of one of the biggest industries and economic indicators across the EU over a significant period of time.
Some interesting figures to note:
- In the year 2000 Ireland increased its number of car registrations by almost 25%, the following year figures returned to those similar with 1999 and consistent with other years. The spike has been attributed to the turn of the millennium and the arrival of “00” registration plates.
- Luxembourg has the highest number of car registrations per 1,000 population. While the average across the 28 countries surveyed is around the 25 cars for every 1,000 persons, Luxembourg has a figure averaging a little under 100 cars per 1,000 population.
- Overall the market has seen a considerable dip since 2007 and in the case of Ireland registrations at present represent a market comparable to that of the mid nineties with roughly the same number of cars registered in 2012 (79,498) as in 1994 (80,402).
- Germany had the highest number of registrations during the study period with the highest number recorded in 1991 with 4,158,674 million new vehicles registered. Germany also had the highest number of registrations in 2012 with 3,082,504 million. This represents 28% of all cars registered across the EU27 and Iceland.
Use this table to analyse trends by selecting your country of interest and other countries to compare and contrast trends. Note a second table sits below the main viz and provides single year figures on individual countries should the user want to explore a particular country in more detail.
Source data can be found at the ACEA website and Population data from Eurostat.
Eoghan McCarthy
Ireland after NAMA 
January 18, 2013 at 2:21 pm
This is very interesting data. The fact that Irish registration plates include the year of registration clearly has a major impact on the number of cars bought per year. Possibly also in 2009, when it was not considered socially acceptable anymore to flaunt an obvioiusly new car or is this related to removal of scrappage scheme incentives?
January 21, 2013 at 10:17 pm
Fantastic tool.
Comparing Icelandic new car reg per 1000 is fun (although its a tiny market ,up 56% this year.)
The huge wastage of capital especially in Big Buba Germany is seen……..
A decline in their domestic car market will really rock the Industry and hopefully mostly destroy it and therefore free up oil capital to do something useful for a change.
Although its probably too late for that now given the damage it has done to the European post war capital base.
German December regs are down 40,000~ from last year so ………….one can only hope and pray..
By 2014 I reckon Irish new car reg could get to Suez lows of 20 to 30 thousand.
Given that the stock of cars needs to reduce from 1.8 million to perhaps 800,000 ~ (Y1990) levels it will take some time…………..
January 22, 2013 at 1:29 pm
The UK data is incorrect
2,044,629 new car units were sold in 2012 – not the 1,057,680 units as stated in the tool.
The UK was the only growing large market in the EU during 2012.
January 22, 2013 at 1:31 pm
SMMT
http://www.smmt.co.uk/2013/01/2012-new-car-market-tops-two-million-units-hitting-four-year-high/