Last updated April 27th, 2023
Whether you’re a car manufacturer, seller, journalist or consumer, making sense of trends and statistics within the used car market can help you make informed decisions.
To make this easier, we’ve curated the latest key statistics and commentary on used car sales and registrations in the UK.
This resource also includes statistics and commentary on the state of the new car market in 2023, including comparative data from 2022 and previous years.
In 2022, second-hand car sales in the UK fell by 8.5% from the previous year, with a total of 6,890,777 units sold. This can be attributed to lingering supply chain issues in the wake of COVID.
However, despite an overall decline, there are several promising signs:
Source: SMMT
Despite high levels of consumer demand, just 6,890,777 used cars were sold in the UK in 2022. This figure falls short of 2019’s pre-pandemic total by 13.2%
Year | Number of car sales |
---|---|
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 |
This drop in sales can be partly attributed to global pandemic-related parts shortages that have stifled new car manufacturing and reduced the levels of stock entering the second-hand market.
cost-of-living crisis and high fuel prices also made many consumers reluctant to commit to long-term car finance agreements.
A recent study by a leading automotive magazine and website revealed that 32% of car owners were less likely to replace their car with another vehicle on a three-year lease than in the previous year.
The same study also revealed that 34.5% of motorists had held on to their vehicle for longer than intended – and 65.8% claimed their ownership continued for over six months longer than originally planned.
Source: SMMT, What Car?
In 2022, used sales for both petrol and diesel cars fell by 7.73% and 11.67% respectively from the previous year. This can in part be attributed to the unprecedented price increases for both petrol and diesel fuel in 2022, which peaked in the summer.
Increased running costs for traditionally fuelled vehicles has led many drivers to go further than seeking the cheapest local fuel prices - and make the switch from a petrol or diesel car to an electric vehicle.
Despite having higher upfront prices than their combustion engine rivals, low charging costs have made electric vehicles an attractive prospect for many consumers.
Used fully electric car sales saw the biggest annual growth (76.67%), followed by hybrid cars (15.15%). Plug-in hybrids sales also increased but only by a modest 1.73%.
No. of sales |
2021 |
2022 |
YoY Change |
YoY Change % |
---|---|---|---|---|
Petrol |
4,230,540.00 |
3,903,587.00 |
-326,953.00 |
-7.73% |
Diesel |
3,046,751.00 |
2,691,293.00 |
-355,458.00 |
-11.67% |
Hybrid |
134,653.00 |
155,055.00 |
20,402.00 |
15.15% |
Electric |
40,228.00 |
71,071.00 |
30,843.00 |
76.67% |
Plug-in Hybrid |
54,115.00 |
55,053.00 |
938.00 |
1.73% |
Source: SMMT
Source: FleetNews
Whilst hybrids remained the bestselling type of EV among used car buyers in 2022, it was fully electric cars that gained the most momentum.
Sources: SMMT, Fleet News, Fleetworld
Source: SMMT
According to SMMT data, new car sales in January and February 2023 were much stronger than over this period in 2022.
February 2023 also marked the seventh consecutive month of growth for the UK’s new car market.
Jan/Feb 2023 | Jan/Feb 2022 | % change |
---|---|---|
206,435 | 174,081 | 18.60% |
Source: SMMT
In 2022, a total of 1.61 million new cars were registered in the UK. This figure is the lowest since 1992, even falling short of those recorded in 2020 and 2021, when the UK was significantly affected by COVID restrictions, automotive supply chain issues and an ongoing global semiconductor chip shortage.
Despite this lull, in 2022, the UK reclaimed its spot as the second-largest automotive market in Europe.
Rising numbers of car registrations in the last five months of the year signalled an improvement. Market growth worth £8.4bn is predicted for 2023.
Source: SMMT, Supply Chain Digital
Year | Number of car registrations |
---|---|
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
Source: SMMT
Source: SMMT
Source: SMMT, Zap-Map
As of September 2022, there were 33.2 million licenced cars in the UK, accounting for 81.3% of all vehicles on the roads.
Source: RAC Foundation
In 2022, a total of 1,614,063 new cars were registered in the UK.
Source: SMMT
In 2022, Volkswagen was the bestselling car brand in the UK for the second year running, with 131,850 units sold. However, the German automotive giant did lose market share; sales fell by 10.8% from last year.
Ford was the next highest seller with 126,826 units sold, overtaking both Audi and BMW from the previous year.
Source: SMMT
The bestselling car in the UK in 2022 was the Nissan Qashqai, with a total of 42,704 registrations. Its high build quality, impressive tech, spacious cabin – and modest starting price have made the Qashqai a hit with the car-buying public.
Source: SMMT
According to the most recent SMMT data, the Vauxhall Corsa is the current leader for UK new car sales in 2023, with 5,243 units sold across January and February 2023.
Source: SMMT