Global Car Sales & Rankings by Region & Country for 2020
Global car sales in 2020 were significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in a substantial decline compared to previous years. In 2020, global car sales reached approximately 64 million units, representing a sharp decline compared to 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic had a profound impact on the automotive industry, leading to factory shutdowns, supply chain disruptions, reduced consumer demand, and economic uncertainties.
All major regions experienced a decline in car sales in 2020. Asia, particularly China, was the least affected and accounted for a significant portion of global sales. Europe and North America saw substantial declines, primarily due to the effects of lockdown measures and economic downturns. Amid the pandemic, consumer preferences shifted towards essential vehicles, such as compact cars and entry-level models, as well as increased interest in online car shopping. The demand for SUVs and crossovers, which had been growing in previous years, experienced a slowdown due to changing economic conditions and reduced discretionary spending.
The COVID-19 pandemic was the primary factor affecting global car sales in 2020. Lockdown measures, restricted mobility, and economic uncertainties led to a decline in consumer purchasing power and reduced consumer confidence. Many potential car buyers postponed or canceled their purchases due to financial concerns and the overall uncertain outlook.
The indicator estimates the number of new passenger car registrations and sales that took place within a country in a year. Passenger cars are road motor vehicles, other than a motor cycle, intended for the carriage of passengers and designed to seat no more than nine persons (including the driver).
Please note: For 2020, we have only got data on the top 57 markets which is why our data may differ from other sources.
2020 Top Level Stats for Global Car Sales
The average for 2020 based on 57 countries was 923,621.5 passenger cars. The highest value was in China: 20,177,731 passenger cars and the lowest value was in Bulgaria: 22,368 passenger cars.
- Total Car Sales for 2020: 52,646,423 – Globally
- Top Ranked Country Sales: 20,177,731 – China
- Lowest Ranked Country Sales: 22,368 – Bulgaria
- Average Country Sales: 923,621.5
- Number of Countries in Analysis: 57
2020 Passenger Car Sales by Region
| Region | Sales Units | Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Europe | 13,884,237 | -22.63 |
| Asia | 30,957,823 | -11.73 |
| Africa | 532,409 | -36.80 |
| North America | 4,252,685 | -31.37 |
| South America | 2,262,032 | -31.82 |
| Australia / Oceania | 757,237 | -16.67 |
2020 Region Share of Total Global Sales
List of Countries by Motor Vehicle Production for 2020
It’s important to note that the specific sales figures and rankings may vary slightly depending on the source, as data can differ between different market research firms and organizations. For this analysis, we have used OICA data.
| Countries | Sales Units | Rank | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | 20,177,731 | 1 | -6.03 |
| Japan | 3,809,977 | 2 | -11.42 |
| USA | 3,401,838 | 3 | -27.92 |
| Germany | 2,917,678 | 4 | -19.12 |
| India | 2,433,464 | 5 | -17.85 |
| France | 1,650,126 | 6 | -25.48 |
| UK | 1,631,064 | 7 | -29.43 |
| South Korea | 1,618,333 | 8 | 8.10 |
| Brazil | 1,615,942 | 9 | -28.56 |
| Russia | 1,433,956 | 10 | -8.54 |
| Italy | 1,381,496 | 11 | -27.93 |
| Spain | 851,213 | 12 | -32.35 |
| Australia | 676,804 | 13 | -15.32 |
| Turkey | 610,109 | 14 | 57.55 |
| Mexico | 532,097 | 15 | -30.37 |
| Malaysia | 480,965 | 16 | -12.58 |
| Poland | 428,347 | 17 | -22.90 |
| Belgium | 424,492 | 18 | -22.82 |
| Indonesia | 388,925 | 19 | -50.49 |
| Saudi Arabia | 387,709 | 20 | -15.78 |
| Netherlands | 357,996 | 21 | -19.74 |
| Thailand | 343,494 | 22 | -26.70 |
| Canada | 318,750 | 23 | -35.85 |
| Sweden | 292,024 | 24 | -17.98 |
| Austria | 257,721 | 25 | -19.56 |
| South Africa | 247,571 | 26 | -30.34 |
| Switzerland | 236,828 | 27 | -23.96 |
| Argentina | 223,438 | 28 | -20.85 |
| Vietnam | 215,908 | 29 | -5.94 |
| Czechia | 202,971 | 30 | -18.78 |
| Israel | 202,366 | 31 | -15.57 |
| Denmark | 198,130 | 32 | -12.17 |
| Chile | 194,128 | 33 | -25.53 |
| Taiwan | 191,337 | 34 | 19.97 |
| Egypt | 167,792 | 35 | 31.66 |
| Philippines | 153,833 | 36 | -40.50 |
| Uzbekistan | 146,250 | 37 | -1.07 |
| Portugal | 145,417 | 38 | -35.02 |
| UA Emirates | 129,901 | 39 | -34.57 |
| Hungary | 128,021 | 40 | -18.92 |
| Romania | 126,351 | 41 | -21.79 |
| Norway | 124,424 | 42 | -7.12 |
| Morocco | 117,046 | 43 | -21.10 |
| Pakistan | 104,387 | 44 | -35.84 |
| Kazakhstan | 100,595 | 45 | 30.10 |
| Finland | 96,392 | 46 | -15.60 |
| Ireland | 88,324 | 47 | -24.58 |
| Ukraine | 85,450 | 48 | -3.38 |
| Colombia | 85,282 | 49 | -61.34 |
| Peru | 81,496 | 50 | -29.28 |
| Greece | 80,977 | 51 | -29.04 |
| New Zealand | 80,433 | 52 | -22.37 |
| Slovakia | 76,305 | 53 | -24.87 |
| Kuwait | 72,648 | 54 | -26.21 |
| Ecuador | 61,746 | 55 | -36.72 |
| Croatia | 36,057 | 56 | -42.75 |
| Bulgaria | 22,368 | 57 | -36.76 |
2020 Worldwide Passenger Car Sales by Country
This visual tree-chart shows the relative size of the global car market and how each country fairs in terms of market share size. As you can see, the big five countries make up a huge part of the global car market.
Top 30 New Car Markets for 2020
The automotive industry faced significant challenges in 2020, with global car sales declining to levels not seen in recent years. As countries began to manage the pandemic and ease restrictions, there were signs of recovery in the latter part of the year. However, the outlook remained uncertain, with the industry needing time to stabilize and rebuild.
Source: OICA
