European passenger car registrations down 23.7% in 2020
January 25, 2021
The European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) has reported the European Union passenger car market contracted by 23.7% in 2020 to 9.9 million units. The fall was a direct result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, having had an unprecedented impact on car sales across the EU.
With new-car registrations falling by three million units in 2020 compared to 2019, it marks the largest fall in demand since records began, states ACEA. All twenty-seven EU markets recorded double-digit declines throughout 2020. Among the region’s largest car markets, Spain posted the sharpest drop (-32.3%), followed closely by Italy (-27.9%) and France (-25.5%), while full-year losses were significant but less pronounced in Germany (-19.1%).
Figures posted for other European countries not in the EU also declined, with Iceland, Norway and Switzerland reporting total registrations of 387,609 (-16.7%) and the UK’s new car registrations at 1,631,064 (-29.4%) in 2020.
