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

Vehicle Technologies Office

Fact #617: April 5, 2010
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 2008. 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, 1998 and 2008. For instance, the top graph shows that in 1998, Western Europe's vehicles per thousand people was about where the U.S. was in 1968, but by 2008 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.

Africa's ratio stayed nearly the same over the ten year period. China's ratio more than tripled from 1998 to 2008.

Vehicles per Thousand People: U.S. (Over Time) Compared to Other Selected Countries (in 1998 and 2008)
Graph showing the number of motor vehicles per thousand people for various countries from 1940 to 2008. For more detailed information, see supporting information below.
Graph showing the number of motor vehicles per thousand people for various countries from 1900 to 1940. For more detailed information, see supporting information below.

Supporting Information

Other Countries' Vehicles per Thousand People, 1998 and 2008
Country/Region Vehicles per 1000 People
1998 2008
Africa 22.8 27.2
Asia, Far East 37.5 53.8
Asia, Middle East 68.0 102.7
Brazil 106.9 140.0
Canada 585.5 623.0
Central & South America 84.3 131.9
China 9.0 35.7
Europe, East 157.2 300.0
Europe, West 507.2 593.2
India 7.6 13.2
Indonesia 12.5 34.7
Pacific 475.1 563.1

 

U.S. Vehicles per Thousand People, 1900-2008
Year U.S. Vehicles per 1000 People Year U.S. Vehicles per 1000 People Year U.S. Vehicles per 1000 People
1900 0.11 1940 245.63 1980 709.14
1901 0.19 1941 261.57 1981 713.66
1902 0.29 1942 244.73 1982 712.34
1903 0.41 1943 225.89 1983 722.70
1904 0.67 1944 220.23 1984 726.59
1905 0.94 1945 221.80 1985 742.80
1906 1.27 1946 243.11 1986 751.71
1907 1.65 1947 262.56 1987 756.97
1908 2.24 1948 280.20 1988 771.27
1909 3.45 1949 299.56 1989 775.35
1910 5.07 1950 322.86 1990 771.82
1911 6.81 1951 335.18 1991 758.66
1912 9.90 1952 338.06 1992 756.84
1913 12.94 1953 350.96 1993 760.95
1914 17.79 1954 358.87 1994 766.04
1915 24.77 1955 377.80 1995 770.18
1916 35.48 1956 385.71 1996 780.37
1917 49.57 1957 390.30 1997 775.27
1918 59.69 1958 390.53 1998 780.46
1919 72.50 1959 401.25 1999 789.35
1920 86.78 1960 408.80 2000 800.30
1921 96.68 1961 413.53 2001 825.61
1922 111.53 1962 424.31 2002 815.44
1923 134.90 1963 436.99 2003 815.82
1924 154.35 1964 449.81 2004 829.69
1925 173.26 1965 465.03 2005 837.12
1926 189.10 1966 486.89 2006 840.74
1927 195.77 1967 497.50 2007 844.38
1928 204.87 1968 513.12 2008 841.67
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 199.90 1974 630.80    
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 698.90    

Sources:
Population – (2008) U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division, International Data Base (IDB), February, 2010. (Additional resources: U.S. Census Bureau, International Data Base (IDB) Web site).
Vehicles – (2008) U.S.: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Highway Statistics 2008, Washington, D.C. 2009. All others: Ward's Communications, Ward's World Motor Vehicle Data 2009, pp. 257-260. (Additional resources: U.S. Department of Tansporation, Federal Highway Administration Web site, Ward's Auto Web site).

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