Annual motorcycle sales in China 2009-2021

This graph depicts annual motorcycle sales in China from 2009 to 2021. In 2021, over 20 million motorcycles were sold in China, an increase of 18.3 percent over the previous year.

Motorcycle sales in China

Domestic motorcycle sales in China are closely regulated by local and provincial governments. A series of bans and limitations on using motorcycles in Chinese urban areas has notably affected sales development. Annual motorcycle sales in China have seen a consecutive decrease during the past decade and have recovered slightly in 2021. Simultaneously, motorcycles are among the main transportation means in rural areas of China. For example, Guangdong and Guangxi provinces have an average of more than 60 motorcycles per 100 households.

Motorcycle imports to China are subject to the luxury tax, which causes the domestic market to be dominated by local manufacturers. Da Changjiang was China’s leading motorcycle manufacturer, with a sales volume of about 2.3 million units in 2021. In 2020, motorcycles with an engine capacity between 111cc and 150cc accounted for nearly 50 percent of two-wheeled motorcycle sales.

Increasing motorcycle exports

Due to decreasing domestic demand, the Chinese motorcycle industry forces motorcycle exports. The export value of motorcycles has doubled over the past seven years, reaching 12.3 billion U.S. dollars in 2021. In October 2021, Chinese motorcycle manufacturer Loncin ranked first with a monthly export value of about 68.4 million U.S. dollars.