Data extracted in January 2026
Planned article update: July 2026
Highlights
This article describes the development in passenger car stocks and new registrations in the European Union (EU), providing also more detailed information on passenger cars powered by 'alternative fuels'.
Overall, the passenger car fleet in almost all EU countries has increased over the last 5 years, exceeding an EU total of 260 million cars (Table 2). The highest number of cars per 1 000 inhabitants was recorded in Italy, followed by Luxembourg and Finland (Figure 3). In 2024, Luxembourg had the highest share of young vehicles, while Estonia reported the highest share of passenger cars over 20 years old, followed by Romania and Poland (Figure 6).
Despite an increase over the last years, passenger cars powered by alternative fuels represented only a small share in the new registration of passenger cars in the EU in 2024 (Table 1), still considerably behind petrol-powered cars. The share of cars powered by alternative fuels among the newly registered passenger cars (Figure 2), in most countries is still below 20%, with an EU average of 16.5%.
Nevertheless, in 2024 the number of battery-only electric passenger cars across the EU amounted to almost 5.8 million (Figure 1), which was about 115 times higher than in 2013 and 10 times higher than in 2019. The largest annual increases were noted between 2019 and 2020 (85.3%) and between 2020 and 2021 (77.5%). Since 2013, their share in the total number of passenger cars increased from 0.02% to 2.2%.
Source: Eurostat (road_eqs_carpda) and (road_eqs_zev)
Engines of newly registered passenger cars: hybrids rising, battery-only electric stagnating, diesel declining
Consumer preferences whether a new passenger car should be powered by a petrol, diesel or an alternative fuel vary across the EU countries (Table 1) and are notably influenced by national incentives and taxation rules. Among the 27 EU countries, alternative energy cars formed the largest category only in Denmark. Petrol (including hybrids) is the major primary source of motor energy everywhere else. In 12 EU countries, the number of newly registered alternative energy cars exceeded that of diesel-powered cars including hybrids (Belgium, Denmark, Greece, France, Cyprus, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Finland, Sweden).
Source: Eurostat (road_eqr_carpda) and (road_eqr_zev)
In 2024, the highest shares of petrol-powered cars (including hybrids) among the new registrations were noted in Cyprus (86.5%), Greece (82.7%), Bulgaria (79.5%), Slovenia (77.0%), Poland (76.4%) and Hungary (75.8%). High shares were also recorded in Slovakia (74.3%), Croatia (74.1%), Spain (73.9%), Lithuania and Estonia (both 71.5%), France (70.5%), Latvia (68.7%), Italy (68.4%), Romania (68.2%), Czechia (67.5%), Finland (64.9%), Belgium (64.6%), the Netherlands (63.8%), Germany (61.7%), Portugal (61.5%), Ireland (60.0%), Austria (59.4%), Malta (57.3%), Luxembourg (55.1%), and Sweden (54.6%).
Among the candidate countries and potential candidate, most new passenger cars were powered by a petrol engine in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Georgia, Serbia, Türkiye and Ukraine, while in Moldova, Albania and Kosovo* (2021 data) the diesel engine was 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.
When it comes to pure petrol and diesel fuel types (excluding hybrids), the picture is somewhat different. Among the EU countries, Belgium, Denmark, Malta, the Netherlands, Finland and Sweden show more new passenger cars powered by alternative fuels than new cars powered by pure petrol. A total of 17 countries have more new hybrid passenger cars (petrol and diesel, plug-in and others) than new cars powered by pure petrol or pure diesel or alternative fuels: Belgium, Estonia, Ireland, Greece, Spain, France, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Hungary, the Netherlands, Romania, Finland, and Sweden. A higher share of new cars powered by pure petrol were registered only in 10 EU countries. At EU level, the total number of new hybrid passenger cars (4.0 million) exceeds, for the first time, the number of new passenger cars powered by pure petrol (3.7 million).
Compared to 2023, the registration of new battery-only electric and plug-in hybrid passenger cars at EU level decreased by 6.0% and 6.4%, respectively. However, the number of new other hybrid passenger cars increased by 18.9%, and total hybrid passenger cars by 12.9%.
In the EU and EFTA countries, 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 2024, this share became the majority in Norway (87.9%) and Denmark (51.3%). It exceeded 20% in Malta (37.7%), Sweden (36.8%), the Netherlands (35.2%), Finland (29.7%), Belgium (28.8%), Luxembourg (27.6%), Portugal (27.0%), Iceland (26.0%) and Liechtenstein (23.5%). For all these countries, the share of alternative fuels overtook the diesel share in 2024. This was also the case in Greece, France, Cyprus, Romania and Switzerland.
Contrary to the EU and EFTA countries, most candidate countries recorded much lower shares of alternative fuel passenger cars than EU countries, with only Moldova (26.4%), Ukraine (15.3%), Albania (13.3%) and Türkiye (11.3%) having a share above 10%. Concerning battery-only electric vehicles, only Ukraine and Türkiye featured a share above 10%.
Source: Eurostat (road_eqr_carpda)
Government incentives to stimulate the use 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 more competitive pricing of such models. On the contrary, and linked especially to battery-only vehicles, the limited electric charging infrastructure and the fear of running out of electric power (‘range anxiety’) are often evoked as main obstacles.
A 6.3% increase of registered passenger cars in the EU since 2019
In 2024, the number of registered passenger cars in the EU exceeded 260 million, corresponding to an increase of 6.3% as compared with 2019 (Table 2). The highest number of registered passenger cars was observed in Germany with more than 49 million cars, followed by Italy (more than 41 million cars) and France (more than 39 million cars). Over the 5-year period from December 2019 to December 2024, there was a strong growth in the number of registered passenger cars in several EU countries: the highest growth over this period was recorded in Romania (22%), followed by Lithuania and Croatia (both 15%), Slovakia (14%), Cyprus and Portugal (both 13%), Ireland, Czechia, Hungary and Poland (all four 12%), Greece (11%), as well as Bulgaria (10%).
Amongst the EU countries with the highest motorisation rates, i.e. passenger cars per 1 000 inhabitants, there are several smaller countries (Figure 3). Italy heads the list (701 passenger cars per 1 000 inhabitants) followed by Luxembourg (670 cars per 1 000 inhabitants). Other countries with a high motorisation rate include Finland (666 cars), Cyprus (661 cars), and Estonia (635 cars).
These EU countries are overtaken by one EFTA country: Liechtenstein (767 cars), while the other EFTA countries Iceland (639 cars), Switzerland (542 cars) and Norway (517 cars) have lower motorisation rates; the latter 2 countries below the EU average (578 cars).
At the other end of the scale, a particularly low motorisation rate was recorded in Latvia (424 cars), despite an 8% growth in the number of registered cars over the period 2019-2024. The motorisation rate in the EU candidate countries and the potential candidate for which data are available is substantially lower than for the EU countries. The lowest value, 189 cars per 1 000 inhabitants, was recorded in Türkiye.
In 14 of the 24 EU countries for which information is available for 2024, there were more petrol cars than diesel cars (including hybrids), with the share of petrol cars ranging from 85% in the Netherlands to 49% in Italy (Table 3). In the other 10 EU countries, diesel cars outnumbered petrol cars with shares ranging from 66% in Latvia to 49% in Austria and Bulgaria.
Despite efforts across Europe to increase the share of cars with low emissions, the share of passenger cars powered by alternative fuels remained low in 2024 in most EU countries. In 4 out of 24 EU countries for which information is available, passenger cars using alternative energy represented less than 2% of the total passenger car fleet. The EU country with the highest share is Bulgaria, where the passenger cars powered by alternative fuels reached 14.4% in 2024 (of which liquefied petroleum gas 12.5%). Other countries with notable shares of passenger cars using alternative fuels are Norway (27.3%), Denmark (12.0%), Sweden (11.2%), Italy (10.6%), Lithuania, Luxembourg and the Netherlands (all three 7.2%), Belgium (5.9%) and Latvia (5.4%). Among candidate countries and the potential candidate, the highest share of passenger cars of alternative fuels was registered in Türkiye (33.2%), Georgia (30.1%) and Moldova (17.8%). In Norway, almost all (99.9%) of alternative fuels passenger cars are battery-only electric vehicles while in Türkiye and Moldova the share of LPG cars is dominant among the passenger cars using alternative fuels.
Source: Eurostat (road_eqs_carpda) and (road_eqs_zev)
In 2024, a total of 16 countries had more hybrid passenger cars (petrol and diesel, plug-in and others) on the road than alternative fuel cars: Belgium, Germany, Estonia, Ireland, Spain, France, Cyprus, Luxembourg, Hungary, Malta, the Netherlands, Austria, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia and Finland. As for EFTA countries, Iceland and Switzerland registered a higher number of hybrid passenger cars.
The highest share of either hybrid or battery-only electric cars was recorded in Luxembourg (20%), while it exceeded 10% also in Sweden and the Netherlands (both 18%), Belgium (17%), Denmark (16%), Finland (13%), Ireland (12%), Germany (11%) and France and Austria (both 10%). In Norway, this share was 40%, far above the highest rate observed in the EU countries.
At the same time the share of petrol hybrid cars in all petrol cars reached more than 15% in 5 countries: Ireland (20%), Luxembourg (19%), Sweden and Belgium (both 18%) and Lithuania (17%). Among the EFTA countries, the highest share was recorded in Norway (33%), followed by Iceland (29%) and Liechtenstein and Switzerland (both 12%).
Small petrol engines more common than medium-sized and large engines
In 14 out of 22 EU countries for which data are available, it can be noticed that the share of small petrol engines (i.e. under 1400 cc engine displacement) is higher than the cumulated shares of the medium- and large-sized ones (Table 4). In the car industry, there is a general tendency to “downsize” engines, i.e. reduce the engine displacement without reducing the power output, mainly for energy efficiency reasons.
In Malta, in 2024, more than half of all passenger cars had small petrol engines (55.1%), followed by the Netherlands with 51.2%. In Cyprus and Finland, medium-sized petrol engines powered 39.0% of the passenger cars. The highest shares of large petrol engines were found in Estonia (10.9% of all passenger cars), Finland (9.1%) and Luxembourg (9.0%); and in the EFTA countries Liechtenstein (16.5%) and Switzerland (10.7%).
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 dominated amongst the diesel-powered passenger cars in all EU countries for which data are available (Table 5). This was particularly the case for the group of countries with the highest overall share of diesel-powered passenger cars (Ireland, Spain, France, Croatia, Lithuania, Latvia, Austria, Portugal and Romania). However, for Lithuania and Latvia, which had an even higher proportion of diesel-powered vehicles than the other countries in the group, the share of large motor engines (> 2 000 cm3) was quite significant (25.7% and 20.9%, respectively).
The information on passenger cars also allows for a breakdown by unladen vehicle weight. The heaviest category includes passenger cars over 1500 kg. Very typical heavy cars are the Sport Utility Vehicles (SUV) – large, high, heavy and often equipped with 4-wheel drive. Nevertheless, heavy does not necessarily mean large. This is particularly the case of electric vehicles, which need to accommodate a heavy pack of batteries (several hundred kilos) adding extra weight to a non-electric vehicle of similar size. Furthermore, safety regulations and consumer expectations for high crash-test scores have necessitated improvements that have resulted in stronger passenger cabins, energy-absorbing crumple zones and more mandatory safety equipment. Such elements add weight to a vehicle, which then needs larger brakes, bigger tires and stronger suspension systems.
The share of heavy cars (i.e. unladen weight of 1 500 kg or over) in national vehicle fleets is steadily increasing (Figure 4). Over the last decade (2014-2024), this can be observed in all countries for which data are available. The highest increase in the share of the heaviest passenger cars was recorded in Latvia (24 percentage points), followed by Romania and Estonia (both 17 pp) and Denmark (15 pp).
Source: Eurostat (road_eqs_unlweig)
In 2024, the shares of the passenger cars with unladen weight of 1 500 kg or over were highest in Latvia (61.2%), Sweden (58.9%), Lithuania (55.8%), Estonia (52.5%), Luxembourg (51.7%) and Malta (47.8%). Conversely, various other EU countries reported a large share of passenger cars with unladen weight of less than 1 000 kg in 2024 (Figure 5): the Netherlands (26.9%), Denmark (26.2%), Hungary (16.9%) and Cyprus (15.3%). Note that the Netherlands and Denmark partly base their vehicle taxation on the unladen weight of the vehicle.
Renewal of the passenger car fleet: rate ranging from 1.4% to 10.2%
In 2024, the renewal rate of passenger cars (ratio of first-registered to total passenger cars, excluding imported second-hand vehicles) in the EU countries ranged from 1.4% in Bulgaria to 10.2% in Luxembourg (Map 1). The exceptionally high renewal rates for Luxembourg (10.2% in 2024 and sometimes higher in previous years) are influenced by an important market share of leasing cars, where vehicle replacements often occur after only a few years.
Source: Eurostat (road_eqr_carmot) and (road_eqs_carmot)
Luxembourg has the youngest car fleet by a large margin
In past years, some 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.
The shares of the youngest passenger cars (less than 2 years old) were highest in Luxembourg (20.2%), Belgium and Germany (both 15.0%), Sweden (13.7%), Ireland (12.8%, 2023 data), Austria and the Netherlands (both 12.6%) and Denmark (10.4%). Conversely, various other EU countries reported a large share of old passenger cars (20 years or older) in 2024 (Figure 6). Those countries were Estonia (36.3%), Romania (36.0%), Poland (35.1%), Finland (34.2%), Portugal (28.6%), Lithuania (27.6%), Hungary (27.2%), Malta (26.9%), Latvia (26.1%) and Spain (25.6%).
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Figure 7 presents the EU countries with the highest shares of the youngest and oldest passenger cars in 2024 (i.e. on 31 December 2024).
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Source data for tables and graphs
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) or of the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA). Some public sources (NSI websites, Open data) have been used, as well.
Coverage
The data in this article covers the EU countries, 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 motorcycle, 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 re-registered 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 is 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 1 000 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 countries, EFTA countries, EU candidate countries and the one potential candidate.
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- Road transport equipment - Stock of vehicles (road_eqs)
- Road transport equipment - New registration of vehicles (road_eqr)
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Methodology
- Common Questionnaire for Inland Transport Statistics (ESMS metadata file — rail_if_esms)
- Eurostat/UNECE/ITF Glossary for Transport Statistics, 5th edition