Car market statistics – UK sales and registrations 2024 update
Last updated March 12th, 2024
Understanding the latest car market trends and data can help you make informed decisions, whether you’re an industry insider or a consumer.
We’ve collated the latest sales data, trends and statistics from across the new and used car markets to create a resource for automotive manufacturers, sellers, journalists and private buyers.
Our updated guide includes new sales data and industry commentary for the UK’s new and used car markets – and forecasts for the year ahead from leading automotive experts.
Value your car in under 30 seconds
Key used car sales stats (updated)
- UK used car transactions grew by 5.1% in 2023, with 7,242,692 transactions.
- Superminis were the most popular style of used car – claiming a 32.1% market share.
- Used Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) sales increased by 90.9% from 2022 - with a total of 118,979 transactions.
- However, the market share for BEVs is still only 1.6%.
- Some industry leaders are calling for VAT cuts on new electric cars. This move would help to increase the supply of used electric cars to meet consumer demand.
Q4 2023 |
Q4 2022 |
% change |
Year-to-date 2023 |
Year-to-date 2022 |
% change |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Used cars |
1,679,116 |
1,571,295 |
6.9% |
7,242,692 |
6,890,777 |
5.1% |
Source: SMMT
Used car price predictions for 2024:
- Cap HPI’s Head of Valuations, Derren Martin predicted a gradual increase in used prices in 2024. He noted that although December’s decline was “among the worst on record”, it marked an improvement on the preceding months.
- Despite the dramatic drop, used values still sit above pre-2021 levels by around 13%.
- Martin also predicted that manufacturers actively pushing new cars – and fleets buying up new stock would be among the key factors affecting used car prices in 2024.
- Regarding the trajectory of used car prices, Martin predicted some small drops over the first half of the year, followed by a stronger second half, when used values may increase.
- Despite a slow return for stock levels, consumer demand for used cars is up by 10.7% compared to December 2022, leading to a healthy market and stabilising prices.
- Data will play a crucial role in 2024 for identifying opportunities, managing risks, and securing profits, as there's been an increase in unnecessary re-pricing activity in the market.
Source: Cap HPI, Car Dealer
Q1 2024: Early used car price indications
The latest data from Autovista 24 and INDICATA shows that used car prices in Europe increased by 2.4% in January.
- This price rise can be attributed to continuous supply chain issues, with stock levels remaining below pre-pandemic levels.
- The shortage of new cars created by a global semiconductor chip shortage has pushed many consumers towards the used car market, which has driven up demand and prices.
- Despite this price increase, the rate of growth has slowed in comparison to previous months, hinting at the market stabilising.
Source: Autovista 24, INDICATA
UK used car sales statistics (2023-2014):
Year |
Number of used car sales |
|---|---|
2023 |
7,242,692 |
2022 |
6,890,777 |
2021 |
7,530,956 |
2020 |
6,752,959 |
2019 |
7,935,105 |
2018 |
7,945,040 |
2017 |
8,113,020 |
2016 |
8,200,000 |
2015 |
7,640,015 |
2014 |
7,433,129 |
Source: SMMT
UK used car sales by powertrain in 2023
Powertrain type |
Number of transactions |
|---|---|
Petrol |
4,079,555 |
Diesel |
2,747,911 |
HEV |
221,859 |
BEV |
118,973 |
PHEVs |
65,837 |
Source: SMMT
Bestselling used car models 2023
Car model |
Number of transactions |
|---|---|
Ford Fiesta |
308,017 |
Vauxhall Corsa |
237,705 |
Volkswagen Golf |
227,427 |
Ford Focus |
223,417 |
Vauxhall Astra |
160,736 |
MINI |
158,298 |
BMW 3 Series |
155,100 |
Volkswagen Polo |
141,135 |
Nissan Qashqai |
120,286 |
Audi A3 |
118,805 |
Source: SMMT
Key new car sales statistics for 2023
- In 2023, the UK’s new car market had its best year since the pandemic, with a total of 1,903,054 cars registered - marking a 17.9% increase from 2022.
- Fleet investment was instrumental in driving growth; fleet deliveries rose by 38.7%. Meanwhile, private consumer demand remained stable.
- Despite the increase in sales, at the end of 2023, the overall new car market was still 17.7% below pre-pandemic levels.
- Superminis, dual purpose and lower medium-sized cars remained the most popular vehicle types.
- Low and zero emission vehicle sales also grew in 2023: HEV and PHEV sales increased, whilst BEV volumes reached a record high.
- BEVs accounted for one in six new cars registered in 2023. Many fleet and business buyers opted for them due to tax incentives.
- A Deloitte survey of 3,200 consumers taken in December 2023 revealed that the number of people planning to buy a new car within the next three months rose from 4.3% in Q3 to 6.6% in Q4 (the highest percentage seen since 2017).
Source: SMMT, Deloitte, Autotrader, Fleet News
Early 2024 indications for the new car market:
- January marked a positive start for new UK car sales in 2024, as BEV registrations rose for the first time since October 2023.
- According to SMMT data, a total of 142,876 new cars (across all powertrain types) hit the roads throughout January. This marked the best performance for January since 2020 - and continued the trend of growth for the 18th consecutive month.
- Fleet market growth was responsible for driving the increase, rising by 29.9%. However, private retail sales fell by 15.8%.
- Autovista24’s Special Content Editor, Phil Curry noted that despite the increase, there is a trend of slowing improvements in the data.
Jamie Hamilton, Automotive Partner and Head of Electric Vehicles at Deloitte also said:
“The beginning of 2024 started off on a strong footing, with new car sales continuing to rise as business optimism encouraged investment in fleets."
“Looking ahead to 2024, the latest market outlook – published in November – anticipates 2024’s new car market to reach 1.97 million units, with 439,000 BEVs taking a 22.3% market share.”
Source: SMMT, Autovista24, Deloitte
UK new car statistics (2023-2011)
Year |
Number of registrations |
|---|---|
2023 |
1,903,054 |
2022 |
1,614,063 |
2021 |
1,647,181 |
2020 |
1,632,064 |
2019 |
2,311,140 |
2018 |
2,367,147 |
2017 |
2,540,617 |
2016 |
2,692,786 |
2015 |
2,633,503 |
2014 |
2,476,435 |
2013 |
2,264,737 |
2012 |
2,044,609 |
2011 |
1,941,253 |
Source: SMMT
Insights from the new car market in 2024
Petrol and diesel cars
In January 2024, new petrol car sales saw a 7.5% year-on-year (YoY) increase, with a total of 81,905 registrations. This gave the powertrain a 57.3% market share, marking a decrease of just 0.4% from 2023.
A total of 9,348 new diesel cars were registered in January, marking a 10.1% YoY decrease. Market share fell to 6.5% - a 1.4% drop from 2023.
2024 |
2023 |
% change |
Market share (2024) |
Market share (2023) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Diesel |
9,348 |
10,399 |
-10.1% |
6.5% |
7.9% |
Petrol |
81,905 |
76,213 |
7.5% |
57.3% |
57.7% |
Total |
91,253 |
86,612 |
63.8% |
65.6% |
Source: SMMT
Please note: The SMMT has changed how it reports mild hybrid sales data for 2024. Mild hybrid data is no longer reported separately. Instead, mild hybrids are included in either the petrol or diesel categories depending on their primary fuel type.
EVs
- The millionth EV was registered in the UK during January 2024 .
- According to Deloitte’s Global Automotive Consumer Study, only 9% of consumers would prefer a BEV as their next car (down from 11% in 2023).
- The study also highlighted affordability as a barrier to mass EV adoption; 86% of those surveyed stated that they expected to spend under £50k on an EV.
- However, it was also noted that a number of affordable EV models will join the market in 2024, which should help to drive growth within the sector.
- Deloitte’s research also highlighted that consumers would be more than twice as likely to be interested in an EV if they had access to off-street parking and at home charging facilities.
2024 |
2023 |
% change |
Market share (2024) |
Market share (2023) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BEV |
20,935 |
17,297 |
21.0% |
14.7% |
13.1% |
PHEV |
11,944 |
9,109 |
31.1% |
8.4% |
6.9% |
HEV |
18,744 |
18,976 |
-1.2% |
13.1% |
14.4% |
Total |
51,623 |
45,382 |
36.2% |
34.4% |
Source: SMMT, Deloitte
How many cars are there in the UK?
According to the latest DVLA data, in September 2023, there were 33,582,200 cars on UK roads. This marks a 1.29% increase from 33,154,700 – the figure reported in September 2022.
Source: DVLA
How many new cars were sold in the UK in 2023?
In 2023, there were 1,903,054 new car registrations in the UK, marking a 17.9% increase from the previous year.
Source: SMMT
What was the most popular UK car brand in 2023?
Volkswagen was the top selling car brand in the UK for 2023, with 162,085 registrations, beating its nearest rival, Ford by a little over 18,000.
The German automaker achieved an 8.52% market share – almost a full point ahead of Ford’s 7.57%.
Source: SMMT
Which car model was most popular on the UK market in 2023?
In 2023, the most popular car on the UK market was the Ford Puma with 49,591 registrations.
Source: SMMT
Which model will be the UK’s best-selling car in 2024?
Based on the latest sales figures from January, the Kia Sportage is currently leading the race for the UK’s best-selling car of 2024 with 4,239 registrations to date.
Source: SMMT