Are car sales declining in Europe? What the 2026 registration data shows

Are new car sales falling in the EU?

No. ACEA, the European carmakers' association, counted 7,546,397 new passenger cars registered in the EU from January to August 2026, 5.3% more than the 7,167,982 a year earlier. Across the EU, EFTA and the UK the rise was 5.8%. In August alone EU registrations were 708,211, up 4.5%. ACEA calls the data for the current year provisional and describes the growth as coming against a backdrop of rising energy prices and persistent geopolitical uncertainty.

The picture is not uniform. Most large markets are up, while Belgium, the Netherlands and Romania are down. All figures come from one ACEA release, so they are comparable with each other.

How is the mix of powertrains changing?

The total is rising while petrol and diesel fall. Battery-electric cars took 21.7% of EU registrations in January to August 2026, against 15.8% a year earlier, and petrol and diesel together fell to 29% from 37.5%. Hybrid-electric cars lead with 36.6% (ACEA).

What is happening in the used car market?

Used-car data is thinner than new-car data, and it points in different directions by country. Germany has the clearest official series: the Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt reports ownership transfers of cars, which measure trade in used cars within the country. Slovenia and Croatia publish first registrations, which for cars that are not new mostly mean vehicles previously registered abroad.

The KBA says used vehicle results were down for all vehicle classes in September 2026 (5 October 2026). These indicators measure different things and cannot be added together, and none of them shows prices.

How to read vehicle sales statistics: a checklist

• A registration counts a vehicle entered in a register. It says nothing about the money earned.
• Separate new and used. Ownership transfers measure trade in used cars inside a country, while first registrations of used cars mostly measure imports.
• Compare equal periods, such as January to August against the previous January to August.
• Check whether the data is provisional (ACEA) or final.
• Do not add figures from sources with different definitions.
• Remember that these statistics contain no prices.

What the data does not tell you

It does not say whether used-car prices are rising or falling, it shows no long-term trend before 2025, and it does not split imports by country of origin. We compare only the first eight or nine months of 2026 with the same months of 2025. ACEA's calendar lists the September 2026 release for 22 October 2026 and the October release for 24 November 2026.

Official sources and reading dates

• ACEA: new car registrations, August 2026 year-to-date, published 24 September 2026.
• KBA: vehicle registrations in September 2026 (in German), published 5 October 2026.
• Statistical Office of Slovenia: first registrations of road vehicles, data to August 2026, read on 19 October 2026.
• CVH's first-half 2026 release, read via tportal (Hina, 24 July 2026).

What this means for a dealer and for a buyer

For a dealer

Rising new registrations and fewer used-car transfers in Germany do not show whether supply or demand is moving. The statistics cannot separate the two, so it pays to watch listings as they appear. WeltScout monitors 50+ portals in 14 countries and alerts you to new listings on WhatsApp or by e-mail, with checks once or twice a day depending on the plan. The Business plan starts at 129.90 EUR a month excluding VAT, and the trial needs no card. The app is currently in English, and support answers in English and in the other site languages.

For a buyer

A national trend does not tell you whether a particular car is fairly priced. Compare specific listings and check the vehicle's history instead.

Frequently asked questions