2024 (Half Year) International: Global Worldwide Car Sales

2024 (First Half Year): Worldwide car sales increased with all large global light vehicle markets expanding except for Japan.

2024 (First Half Year): Worldwide car sales increased with all large global light vehicle markets expanding except for Japan.
© Audi AG

During the first semester of 2024, global car markets mostly expanded although Brazil and Mexico were the only large markets with double-digit growth. China remained the largest single-country car market in the world while sales grew faster in Europe than in the USA. Japan was the only major global new car market with weaker sales during the first half of 2024 with the market smaller than in India where car sales continued to increase.

Latest Worldwide Car Sales: 2024: (Q1, Half Year, Q3); 2023: (Q1, Half Year, Q3, Full Year); 2022; 2021; 2020

Car Sales by Major Global Market in 2024 (First Half)

New light passenger vehicle sales per major global international car market according to the VDA were as follows during the first semester of 2024:

RegionJan-Jun 2024Jan-Jun 2023% 23/24
Europe**6,878,4006,588,9004.4
USA*7,810,7007,658,2002.1
Mexico707,70011.9
Japan1,800,1002,047,700-12.1
Brazil*1,078,300934,70015.4
India2,161,5002,014,4007.3
China9,856,000[11,143,000]3.3
*Light vehicles
**(EU+EFTA+UK)
Source: VDA

China — Largest Global New Car Market in 2024 (Half Year)

China remained by far the largest single-country new car market globally with sales increasing by 3.3% to 9,856,000 cars sold during the first six months of 2024. (The methodology changed, so figures are not directly comparable with previous years.)

However, the outlook for the Chinese new car market is not particularly positive with sales down almost 8% in June.

Brazil – Fastest Growing Large Car Market Worldwide in 2024 (First Semester)

The Brazilian new car market was the fastest-growing major light vehicle market during the first six months of 2024. Sales increased by 15% to just over a million light vehicles.

Europe — Higher Car Sales in 2024 (First Half)

New passenger vehicle registrations in Europe (EU, EFTA, UK) increased by 4.4% to 6,878,400 cars during the first half of 2024. Europe was thus the fastest growing of the top three markets but car sales remained almost a fifth lower than in 2019.

The growth of sales in battery-electric vehicles in Europe increased by only 1.6% to 954,094 electric cars for a market share of only 12.5% — slightly lower than in 2023.

USA — Weak Car Sales in 2024 (Six Months)

In the USA, new light vehicle sales increased by only 2.2% to 7.8 million light vehicles during the first six months of 2024. Sales were down 3.4% in June but the contraction was largely blamed on technology issues following hacker attacks rather than inherent weakness in the market.

Mexico — Market Growth

In Mexico, the new car market expanded by a relatively strong 12.5% during the first six months of 2024. New car sales increased to 707.700 vehicles.

India — Higher Car Sales

In India, new car sales increased by 7.3% to 2,161,500 vehicles during the first half of 2024.

Japan — Market Contraction in 2024

New passenger vehicle registrations in Japan contracted by 12.1% during the first six months of 2024 to only 1,800,100 cars. Japan was the only major global new car market with weaker volume sales during the first half of 2024.

Latest Worldwide Car Sales: 2024: (Q1, Half Year, Q3); 2023: (Q1, Half Year, Q3, Full Year); 2022; 2021; 2020

About the author:

Henk Bekker

Henk Bekker is a freelance writer with over 20 years of experience in online writing. His best-selling cars website has been reporting car sales statistics since 2008 with classic car auction prices focusing on the most expensive automobiles sold at public auctions in the past decade. He also owns the travel websites European-Traveler.com and Lake Geneva Switzerland. Henk holds an MBA from Edinburgh Business School and an MSc in Finance from the University of London.