Global Car Sales & Rankings by Region & Country for 2006
In 2006, global car sales experienced significant growth and reached record levels. Favorable economic conditions, such as low interest rates and overall economic growth in many countries, contributed to increased car sales. In 2006, approximately 48 million passenger cars were sold worldwide, which was an increase of about 4% compared to the previous year. Asia-Pacific (including China and Japan) was the largest market for car sales, accounting for around 40% of the total global sales. North America (primarily the United States) was the second-largest market, followed by Europe.
Developing countries such as China, India, and Brazil experienced rapid growth in car sales during this period. China, in particular, became the second-largest car market globally, with over 5 million cars sold, surpassing Japan which sold 4.6 million cars in 2006. This growth was driven by factors such as rising incomes, urbanization, and increased consumer demand.
