Vehicle sales - selected countries 2022

Globally, China accounted for the largest number of vehicle sales in 2022 with nearly 26.9 million units. At the end of 2022, China was estimated to be the world’s largest automobile market based on new car registrations. The United States accounted for the second largest sales volume at that time with about 14.2 million new vehicles being sold. There have been many changes in the vehicle industry in recent years, and changing markets and technologies are expected to affect car sales in dramatic ways.

Vehicle sales

The recent changes in vehicle sales and trade globally due to political tensions, changes to key markets, and changes in technology were already having an impact on the car industry. The reduction in sales in 2020 highly correlated with the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, and semiconductor supply shortages as well as raw material price inflation have put further strain on the automotive industry. Despite the decline in recent years, but long-term trends forecast a sales increase in 2023.

Vehicle production

Vehicle production is also showing some stagnation. The most significant reduction occurred in 2020. Motor vehicle output has grown in 2021 and 2022, but have yet to reach pre-pandemic levels. That said, declining production levels in Europe were partly offset by rising output in China.