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

Vehicle Technologies Office

Fact #500: January 7, 2008
China is Second Largest in Vehicle Sales

In 2006, for the first time, China surpassed Japan in total vehicle sales, making it second in the World in terms of vehicle sales. The emerging automotive markets of China, India and Brazil all experienced rapid growth between 2005 and 2006 while the older and more established markets of the U.S. and Japan experienced slight declines over the same period.

Total Vehicle Sales for Selected Countries, 2005-2006
Graph showing the vehicle sales in 2005 and 2006 for China, Japan, India, Brazil, and the U.S. China is the second largest in vehicle sales after the U.S. For more detailed information, see the table below.
Percent Change of Vehicle Sales for Selected Countries, 2005-2006
Graph showing the percentage changes of vehicle sales in 2005-2006 for China, Japan, India, Brazil, and the U.S. The percentage change for China from 2005 to 2006 is an increase of 25.3% while the U.S. and Japan have decreased during the same time period. For more detailed information, see the table below.

Supporting Information

Vehicle Sales and Percent Change in Sales, 2005-2006
  China Japan India Brazil U.S.
2006 7,215,972 5,739,506 1,750,777 1,933,306 17,048,981
2005 5,758,189 5,852,067 1,439,613 1,711,972 17,444,329
Percent Change 25.3% -1.9% 21.6% 12.9% -2.3%

Source: Ward's Communications, World Motor Vehicle Motor Data 2007.

 

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