Motor Vehicle - Ownership Trends

Ownership Trends

See also: List of countries by vehicles per capita

The U.S. publisher Ward's, estimate that as of 2010 there were 1.015 billion motor vehicles in use in the world. This figure represents the number of cars; light, medium and heavy duty trucks; and buses, but does not include off-road vehicles or heavy construction equipment. They state that the world vehicle population passed the 500 million-unit mark in 1986, and 250 million motor vehicles in 1970. Between 1970 and 1950, the vehicle population doubled roughly every 10 years. Two U.S. researchers estimate that the world's fleet will reach 2 billion motor vehicles by 2020, with cars representing at leas 50% of all vehicles. China’s and India’s automobile fleets are expected to grow at an annual rate of around 7 or 8%, while the slowest growth is expected in the United States, with less than 1% a year, and Western Europe, with 1 to 2%.

Global vehicle ownership in 2010 was 148 vehicles in operation per 1000 inhabitants, a ratio of 1:6.75 vehicles to people, slightly down from 150 vehicles per 1000 inhabitants in 2009, a rate of 1:6.63 vehicles to people. In developing countries vehicle ownership rates in cities rarely exceed 200 cars per 1,000 population.

The following table summarizes the evolution of vehicle registrations in the world from 1960 to 2010:

Historical trend of worldwide vehicle registrations 1960-2010 (thousands)
Type of vehicle	1960	1970	1980	1990	2000	2005	2009	2010
Car registrations(1)	98,305	193,479	320,390	444,900	548,558	617,914	684,570	707,764
Truck and bus registrations	28,583	52,899	90,592	138,082	203,272	245,798	295,115	307,497
World total	126,888	246,378	410,982	582,982	751,830	863,712	979,685	1,015,261