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U.S. Department of Energy Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Fact #474: June 18, 2007
Changes in Vehicles per Capita around the World

The graphs below show the number of motor vehicles per thousand people for various countries. The data for the U.S. are displayed in the line which goes from 1900 to 2005. The points labeled on that line show data for the other countries/regions around the world and how their vehicles per thousand people compare to the U.S. at two different points in time, 1994 and 2005. For instance, the top graph shows that in 1994, Western Europe's vehicles per thousand people was about where the U.S. was in 1966, but by 2005 it is about where the U.S. was in 1972. The lower part of the graph (1900-1940) is shown enlarged below the first graph.

With the exception of Africa, Canada is the only country/region shown that had a lower ratio of vehicles per thousand people in 2005 than in 1994; Africa's ratio stayed nearly the same over the ten year period. China's ratio nearly tripled from 1994 to 2005.

Vehicles per Thousand People: U.S. (Over Time) Compared to Other Selected Countries (in 1994 and 2005)
Graph showing the number of motor vehicles per thousand people for various countries. For more detailed information, see the table below.
Inset
Inset to above graph showing the number of vehicles per thousand people for various countries (1900-1940). For more detailed information, see the table below.

Supporting Information

Other Countries' Vehicles per Thousand People, 1994 and 2005
  Vehicles per 1,000 People
Country/Region 1994 2005
China 7.9 23.5
Africa 24.2 23.4
Asia, Far East 35.8 62.4
Asia, Middle East 67.4 96.6
Central & South America 94 121.2
Europe, East 155.7 242.3
Europe, West 486.8 588.1
Pacific 472.4 548.2
Canada 596 576.4
U.S. Vehicles per Thousand People, 1900-2005
Year U.S. Vehicles per 1,000 People Year U.S. Vehicles per 1,000 People Year U.S. Vehicles per 1,000 People
1900 0.11 1940 245.63 1980 710.71
1901 0.19 1941 261.57 1981 715.22
1902 0.29 1942 244.73 1982 713.95
1903 0.41 1943 225.89 1983 724.3
1904 0.67 1944 220.23 1984 728.2
1905 0.94 1945 221.8 1985 744.5
1906 1.27 1946 243.11 1986 753.33
1907 1.65 1947 262.56 1987 758.58
1908 2.24 1948 280.2 1988 772.92
1909 3.45 1949 299.56 1989 776.99
1910 5.07 1950 322.86 1990 773.4
1911 6.81 1951 335.19 1991 760.19
1912 9.9 1952 338.06 1992 757.96
1913 12.94 1953 350.95 1993 761.94
1914 17.79 1954 358.87 1994 766.94
1915 24.77 1955 377.8 1995 770.99
1916 35.48 1956 385.71 1996 781.16
1917 49.57 1957 390.3 1997 776.02
1918 59.69 1958 390.53 1998 781.2
1919 72.5 1959 401.25 1999 790.07
1920 86.78 1960 408.8 2000 800.28
1921 96.68 1961 413.53 2001 825.45
1922 111.53 1962 424.31 2002 814.74
1923 134.9 1963 436.99 2003 760.04
1924 154.35 1964 449.81 2004 789.68
1925 173.26 1965 465.03 2005 803.75
1926 189.1 1966 486.89    
1927 195.77 1967 497.5    
1928 204.87 1968 513.12    
1929 219.31 1969 529.97    
1930 217.34 1970 542.51    
1931 210.37 1971 560.19    
1932 195.38 1972 583.89    
1933 192.38 1973 613.59    
1934 199.9 1974 630.8    
1935 208.61 1975 638.56    
1936 222.62 1976 658.04    
1937 233.33 1977 667.57    
1938 229.65 1978 688.65    
1939 236.93 1979 698.9    

Sources:
Population: U.S. Census Bureau, International Programs Center
Vehicles: U.S. – U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Highway Statistics 2005, and previous editions. All others – Ward's Communications, Ward's World Motor Vehicle Data 2005.

 

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