Passenger cars in the EU

Data extracted in July 2024

Planned article update: December 2024

Highlights

Between the end of 2022 and the end of 2023, the number of battery-only electric passenger cars had increased by 49% and was on the verge of 4.5 million vehicles.

In 2023, Luxembourg had the highest share of 'youngest' passenger cars, with 18.9% of passenger cars being less than 2 years old.

This article describes developments in passenger car stocks and new registrations in the European Union (EU), providing extended information on passenger cars powered by ‘alternative fuels’.

Full article

Overview: car numbers grow with a rapid increase in electric but a low share of overall alternative fuels

Overall, the passenger car fleet in almost all of the EU countries has grown over the last five years, exceeding an EU total of 255 million cars (Table 2). The highest number of cars per thousand inhabitants was recorded in Italy, followed by Luxembourg and Cyprus (Figure 3). In 2023, Luxembourg had the highest share of 'youngest' vehicles, while Romania had the highest share of passenger cars older than 20 years, followed by Finland and Estonia (Figure 5).

Despite an increase over the last years, passenger cars powered by alternative fuels only made up a minority of the new registration of passenger cars in the EU in 2023 (Table 1), still behind petrol and diesel (including hybrids). This is reflected by the share of cars powered by alternative fuels among the newly registered passenger cars (Figure 2), which in most countries is still below 20%.

However, in 2023 the number of battery-only electric passenger cars in the EU countries exceeded 4.4 million (Figure 1), which was about 89 times higher than in 2013 and 12 times higher than in 2018. The highest rates of increase were noted between 2019 and 2020 (85.2%) and between 2020 and 2021 (77.5%). Their share in the total number of passenger cars grew from 0.02% to 1.7%.

Figure 1: Battery-only electric passenger cars, EU, 2013-2023
(number)
Source: Eurostat (road_eqs_carpda) and (road_eqs_zev)

New passenger car engine fuel: petrol popular, diesel declining, alternative rising

The preferences for whether a new passenger car should be powered by a petrol, diesel or an alternative fuel engine vary across the EU countries (Table 1). Of the 25 EU countries for which detailed data are available, 24 registered a higher petrol share; this is an accentuation of the phenomenon observed in 2017 (until 2015, the majority of EU countries recorded a higher diesel share, in 2016 there was the same number on both sides).

Table 1: New passenger cars by type of engine fuel, 2023
(number)
Source: Eurostat (road_eqr_carmot), (road_eqr_carpda) and (road_eqr_zev)

In 2023, the highest shares of petrol-powered cars among the new registrations were noted in Cyprus (91.6%), Hungary (77.4%), Lithuania (76.4%) and Estonia (75.5%), with high shares also recorded in Slovenia (74.9%), Spain (72.6%), Malta (69.9%), Belgium (69.5%), Czechia (69.2%), Latvia (68.8%), France (68.7%), the Netherlands (67.5%), Italy (64.2%), Poland and Romania (both 63.0%), Portugal (61.6%), Finland (59.7%), Luxembourg (56.6%), Germany (56.3%), Ireland (56.2%), Denmark (55.1%), Austria (54.5%), and Sweden (50.4%).

By contrast, the only country that recorded a higher share of diesel cars among new passenger cars was Greece (77.7%).

In the candidate countries and the potential candidate, most new passenger cars are powered by a petrol engine in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro (2022 data), Georgia, Türkiye and Ukraine, while in Albania and Kosovo* (2021 data) the diesel engine is dominant.

(*Kosovo: This designation is without prejudice to positions on status and is in line with UNSCR 1244/99 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence.)

In the EU countries, EFTA countries, candidate countries and the potential candidate for which recent data are available, an increase in the share of new registrations of passenger cars powered by alternative fuels can generally be observed in the last 3 years (Figure 2). In 2023, this share became majority in Norway (81.2%) and exceeded 20% in Iceland (at least 52.8% taking into consideration battery-only electric vehicles), Sweden (40.8%), Denmark (36.1%), Finland (34.3%), the Netherlands (31.4%), Croatia (31.0%), Portugal (23.9%), Romania (22.8%), Luxembourg (22.5%), Liechtenstein (21.3%), Malta (20.4%), France (20.2%), Switzerland (20.1%) and Belgium (20.0%). For all these countries, the share of alternative fuels overtook the diesel share in 2023. This was also the case in Cyprus (5.4% vs. 3.0%).

Contrarily to EFTA countries, most candidate countries recorded much lower rates of alternative fuels than EU countries with only Moldova (19.5%) and Ukraine (12.1%) having a rate above 10%. Concerning battery-only electric vehicles, only Ukraine records a rate above 10%.

Figure 2: New passenger cars with alternative fuel engine, 2021-2023
(% of new passenger cars)
Source: Eurostat (road_eqr_carmot) and (road_eqr_carpda)

The government incentives to stimulate the share of cars with lower emissions include, for example, tax reductions, subsidies or specific privileges such as access to lanes reserved for public transport and free parking. Other main reasons are the number and variety of passenger car models with alternative fuel engines offered, as well as the prices of such models.

A 6.7% increase in EU-registered passenger cars since 2018

In 2023, the number of the EU-registered passenger cars reached almost 257 million, corresponding to an increase of 6.7% as compared with 2018 (Table 2). The highest number of registered passenger cars was observed in Germany with 49 million cars. Followed by Italy (almost 41 million cars) and France (more than 39 million cars). Over the five-year period from December 2018 to December 2023, there was a strong growth in the number of registered passenger cars in several of the EU countries. The highest growth over this period was recorded in Romania (26%), followed by Lithuania (19%), Estonia (16%), Croatia (15%), Hungary and Slovakia (both 14%), Czechia and Cyprus (both 13%), as well as Portugal (12%).

Table 2: Passenger cars, 2018-2023
(number)
Source: Eurostat (road_eqs_carmot)

Amongst the EU countries with the highest motorisation rates, i.e. passenger cars per thousand inhabitants, there are several smaller countries (Figure 3). Italy heads the list (694 passenger cars per thousand inhabitants) and in second place follows Luxembourg with 675 cars per thousand inhabitants. Other countries with a high motorisation rate include Cyprus (665 cars), Finland (664 cars), and Estonia (630 cars).

These EU countries are overtaken by one EFTA country: Liechtenstein (774 cars), while the other two EFTA countries, Switzerland (543 cars) and Norway (520 cars), are close to the EU average (571 cars).

Figure 3: Motorisation rate, 2023
(number of passenger cars / thousand inhabitants)
Source: Eurostat (road_eqs_carhab)

At the other end of the scale, a particularly low motorisation rate is recorded in Latvia (418 cars), despite a growth in the number of registered cars of 10% over the period 2018-2023. The motorisation rate in the EU candidate countries and the potential candidate for which data are available (Montenegro, Georgia, Serbia, Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Albania, Türkiye, and Kosovo) is substantially lower than in the EU countries. The smallest value, 169 cars per thousand inhabitants, was recorded in Türkiye.

Small petrol engines more common than medium-sized and large engines

In 13 of the 24 EU countries for which information is available for 2023, there were more petrol cars than diesel cars, with the share of petrol cars ranging from 85% in the Netherlands (2022 data) to 48% in Italy (Figure 4). In the other 11 EU countries, diesel cars outnumbered petrol cars with their shares ranging from 66% in Lithuania to 49% in Slovenia. Despite efforts across Europe to increase the share of cars with low CO₂ emissions, the share of passenger cars powered by alternative fuels remained low in 2023 in most EU countries. In 2 out of 24 EU countries for which information is available, passenger cars using alternative energy represented less than 1% of the total passenger car fleet. The EU country with the highest share is Bulgaria, where the passenger cars powered by alternative fuels reached 14.3% in 2023. Other countries with notable shares of passenger cars using alternative fuels are Norway (23.9%), Italy (10.3%), Sweden (10.1%), Lithuania (7.2%), Denmark (7.1%), Croatia (5.7%), Latvia (5.5%) and Luxembourg (5.2%). Among candidate countries and the potential candidate, the highest share of passenger cars of alternative fuels was registered in Türkiye (34.2%), Georgia (31.0%) and Moldova (17.1%). In Norway almost all (99.9%) of the passenger cars of alternative fuels are battery-only electric passenger cars while in Türkiye and Moldova the share of LPG cars is dominant among the passenger cars using alternative fuels.

Figure 4: Passenger cars by type of engine fuel, 2023
(% of all passenger cars)
Source: Eurostat (road_eqs_carpda)

In 15 out of 22 EU countries for which data are available, it can be noticed that the share of small petrol engines is higher than the share of the medium- and large-sized ones (Table 3).

In Malta, in 2023, more than half of all passenger cars had small petrol engines, with the share of cars with small-sized petrol engines reaching 55.4% of the total, followed by the Netherlands with 51.7% (2022 data). In Finland, medium-sized petrol engines powered 39.2% of the passenger cars. The highest shares of large petrol engines can be found in Estonia (10.7% of all passenger cars) and Finland (9.1%); and in the EFTA countries, in Liechtenstein (16.4%) and Switzerland (10.8%).

Table 3: Petrol-driven passenger cars by size of engine, 2023
(number and % share of all passenger cars)
Source: Eurostat (road_eqs_carmot)

Overall, passenger cars with small engines generally use petrol as fuel; there are relatively few passenger cars with small diesel engines in the EU. Medium-sized engines dominate amongst the diesel-powered passenger cars in all EU countries for which data are available (Table 4). This is particularly the case for the group of countries with the highest overall share of diesel-powered passenger cars (Ireland, France, Portugal, Austria, Croatia and Spain). However, for Latvia, which has an even higher proportion of diesel-powered vehicles than the countries in the group, the share of large motor engines (> 2000 cm³) is quite significant (25.9%).

Table 4: Diesel-driven passenger cars by size of engine, 2023
(number and % share of all passenger cars)
Source: Eurostat (road_eqs_carmot)

Highest share of 'youngest' passenger cars in Luxembourg

The shares of the ’youngest’ passenger cars (less than 2 years old) were highest in Luxembourg (18.9%), Germany (14.8%), Sweden (14.2%), Belgium (13.7%), Ireland (13.1%, 2022 data), Austria (12.6%) and the Netherlands (12.3%). By contrast, several EU countries reported a large share of ’old’ passenger cars (20 years or older) in 2023, see Figure 5. The EU countries with the highest shares were Romania (33.2%), Finland and Estonia (both 32.3%), Poland (29.3%, 2022 data), Portugal (27.8%), Malta (26.4%), and Lithuania (25.9%).

Figure 5: Passenger cars by age, 2023 (i.e. on 31 December 2023)
(% of all passenger cars)
Source: Eurostat (road_eqs_carage)

In recent years, several countries have been offering programmes supporting the purchase of new cars with low emissions while scrapping the owners’ old cars. The general aim of these programmes has been the renewal of the passenger car fleet with lower emission cars, while simultaneously stimulating the economy. These programmes have had a certain influence on the age composition of passenger cars in individual countries. Figure 6 presents the EU countries with highest shares of the youngest and oldest passenger cars in 2023 (i.e. on 31 December 2023).

Figure 6: Age of passenger cars, 2023 (i.e. on 31 December 2023)
(% of all passenger cars)
Source: Eurostat (road_eqs_carage)

Source data for tables and graphs

Passenger cars in the EU: tables and figures

Data sources

The main source is the 'Eurostat/ITF/UNECE Common Questionnaire on Inland Transport Statistics'. Some gaps have been filled in with estimates of the European Alternative Fuels Observatory (EAFO). Some public sources (NSI websites, Open data) have been used, too, particularly for the Ukrainian pilot statistics currently developed with the State Statistics Service of Ukraine (Derzhstat) from their national road vehicle register accessible in Open Data.

Coverage

The data in this article covers the EU Member States, the EFTA countries and the candidate countries and potential candidate (list of countries and the corresponding country codes).

Definitions

All definitions used are taken from the Eurostat/UNECE/ITF Glossary for Transport Statistics, currently in its 5th edition. This glossary can be found on Eurostat’s website Eurostat/UNECE/ITF Glossary for Transport Statistics.

Passenger cars

Road motor vehicle, other than a moped or a motor cycle, intended for the carriage of passengers and designed to seat no more than nine persons (including the driver).

Included are:

Passenger cars
Vans designed and used primarily for transport of passengers
Taxis
Hire cars
Ambulances
Motor homes
Micro-cars (needing no permit to be driven)

Excluded are light goods road vehicles, as well as motor-coaches and buses, and mini-buses/mini-coaches.

New motor vehicles registered during the year

The new motor vehicles registered during the year are those motor vehicles that are first-time registered as new in a motor vehicle register, irrespective of the nationality of the register. The imported second-hand vehicles are not first-time registered but should be regarded as reregistered vehicles. Thus, should not be included in the number of new motor vehicles registered first time during the year.

Motor energy

The principal type of motor energy used by the vehicle as certified by the competent authority of the country of registration. For hybrid or dual-fuelled vehicles adapted for using more than one type of motor energy (e.g., LPG and petrol, or electricity and diesel, etc.), the principal type of motor energy should be, where possible, an alternative fuel.

Alternative fuel

A type of motor energy other than the conventional fuels, petrol and diesel. Alternative fuels include electricity, LPG, natural gas (LNG or CNG), alcohols, mixtures of alcohols with other fuels, hydrogen, bio-fuels (such as biodiesel), etc. (this list is not exhaustive). Alternative fuels do not include unleaded petrol, reformulated petrol or city (low-sulphur) diesel, neither hybrid petrol-electric nor hybrid diesel-electric motor energy.

Motorisation rate

The number of passenger cars per 1000 inhabitants.

Context

The Common Questionnaire on Inland Transport Statistics is a joint project of Eurostat, the International Transport Forum (ITF) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). The data are provided on a voluntary basis by a large number of countries, both within and outside the European Union. Data is collected from reliable sources, but data collection methodologies are not harmonised at EU level. Comparability across countries is restricted as the classifications used in the national vehicle registers are not harmonised. Vehicle registers may exclude taxis, pick-ups and “vans for passengers“ from the definition of “passenger cars”, and may also exclude very old vehicles. This article covers data provided by the EU Member States, the EFTA countries and EU candidate countries and the one potential candidate.