Top Car Markets in Europe in 2007
New Passenger Automobile Registrations in EU & EFTA Countries
New passenger car registrations in 2007 in the European Union and EFTA countries show a flat automobile market in Western Europe but continued growth in Eastern Europe.
The European car market remained flat during 2007 with only a 1.1% increase over 2006 in new car registrations. In the total European market (27 European Union (EU) countries plus three European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries), 15,958,871 passenger cars were registered during 2007 (15,782,959 in 2006).
- The best selling car in Europe in 2007, as calculated by Jato, was the Peugeot 207, followed by the VW Golf and the Ford Focus.
Key National Influences on 2007 New Car Registrations in Europe
The key braking influence on 2007 car sales in Europe was the 3% increase in consumption tax in Germany from January 2007. This increased car sales in Germany during the final months of 2006 while severely damping growth during early 2007. Uncertainty regarding future emission regulations also negatively influenced the important German market.
The German car market, by far the largest in Europe, declined by 9.2% or almost 320,000 cars. Positive growth in most other countries, including Italy, the UK, and France, could not balance out the decline in the large German market.
Government incentives helped boost the Italian market, which was up by 7.1% while similar incentives probably prevented a steeper decline in Spain where the market was down by 1.2%.
- The largest percentage decline in 2007 was the small Finish market with -13.8%.
New Passenger Car Registrations in Europe in 2007
Sales in Western Europe (EU15) were flat at 14,363,279 while the much smaller market for new EU members was up by 14.5% to 1,164,664 cars. New passenger car registrations in the small but very wealthy EFTA market increased by 8.9% to 430,928 cars.
Sales increased in most of the new European Union countries with the small Lithuanian market increasing by over 48% while new car registrations in Latvia, Romania, Poland, and Estonia increased by over 20% in 2007. Romania overtook Poland as the biggest new car market in Eastern Europe.
- Full new passenger car registrations in Europe in 2007 were as follows:
Country … New Car Registrations in 2007 … % Change from 2006
Total European Union* & EFTA … 15,958,871 … +1.1
European Union (EU15) … 14,363,279 … -0.0
- Germany … 3,148,163 … -9.2
- Italy … 2,490,570 … +7.1
- United Kingdom … 2,404,007 … +2.5
- France … 2,064,543 … +3.2
- Spain … 1,614,835 … -1.2
- Belgium … 524,795 … -0.3
- Netherlands … 504,195 … +4.2
- Sweden … 306,799 … +8.5
- Austria … 296,414 … -3.9
- Greece … 279,794 … +4.5
- Portugal … 201,868 … +3.7
- Ireland … 186,540 … +4.5
- Denmark … 162,552 … +3.6
- Finland … 125,608 … -13.8
- Luxemburg … 52,596 … +3.5
EU (New Members)* … 1,164,664 … +14.5
- Romania … 312,532 … +26.3
- Poland … 293,319 … +22.9
- Hungary … 173,025 … -7.8
- Czech Republic … 132,542 … +6.9
- Slovenia … 65,511 … +12.1
- Slovakia … 59,700 … +1.0
- Bulgaria … 43,521 … +19.4
- Latvia … 32,497 … +26.8
- Estonia … 30,902 … +21.1
- Lithuania … 21,115 … +48.3
- *Figures for the very small Malta & Cyprus markets are not included.
European Free Trade Association (EFTA) … 430,928 … +8.9
- Switzerland … 285,563 … +6.0
- Norway … 129,195 … +18.3
- Iceland … 16,170 … -5.6
See Also:
Resources:
All statistics by the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA)
