These global automotive market statistics highlight the latest available figures on vehicle production, passenger car sales, country output, electric vehicle momentum, and 2025 market outlook. Because industry sources report all motor vehicles and passenger cars separately, this article notes which metric is being used in each section.
Global automotive market statistics: top highlights
- Global motor vehicle production reached 92.5 million units in 2024, down about 1% from 2023 but slightly above the 91.8 million units recorded in 2019.
- Asia-Oceania produced 54.9 million vehicles in 2024, equal to roughly 59% of global output.
- China built 31.3 million vehicles in 2024, the highest total of any country and about one-third of global production.
- The United States produced 10.6 million vehicles in 2024, while Japan built 8.2 million and India produced 6.0 million.
- Global passenger car sales reached 74.6 million units in 2024, up 2.5% from 2023.
- Asia accounted for 48.9% of global passenger car sales in 2024, while Europe held 21.6% and North America 20.5%.
- China sold 22.9 million passenger cars in 2024, representing 30.7% of global car sales.
- North America led global commercial vehicle sales in 2024 with 4.0 million units and a 30% market share.
- Electric car sales topped 17 million worldwide in 2024 and exceeded 20% of all new car sales.
- The global electric car fleet reached almost 58 million vehicles by the end of 2024.
- The IEA expects electric car sales to exceed 20 million in 2025, which would put EVs above one-quarter of new car sales worldwide.
- S&P Global Mobility forecast 89.6 million new light vehicle sales worldwide in 2025, up 1.7% year over year.
Global motor vehicle production trend
| Label | Bar | Value | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 91.8M | |||
| 2023 | 93.5M | |||
| 2024 | 92.5M |
Max = 93.5M. Widths: 2019 98.26%, 2023 100.00%, 2024 98.99%
Global motor vehicle production by region in 2024
| Label | Bar | Value | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asia-Oceania | 54.9M | |||
| America | 19.2M | |||
| Europe | 17.2M | |||
| Africa (ex-Egypt) | 1.2M |
Max = 54.9M. Widths: Asia-Oceania 100.00%, America 34.94%, Europe 31.38%, Africa (ex-Egypt) 2.14%
Top vehicle-producing countries in 2024
| Label | Bar | Value | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | 31.3M | |||
| United States | 10.6M | |||
| Japan | 8.2M | |||
| India | 6.0M | |||
| Mexico | 4.2M | |||
| South Korea | 4.1M | |||
| Germany | 4.1M |
Max = 31.3M. Widths: China 100.00%, United States 33.76%, Japan 26.32%, India 19.23%, Mexico 13.43%, South Korea 13.19%, Germany 13.01%
Global passenger car sales by region in 2024
| Label | Bar | Value | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asia | 36.4M | |||
| Europe | 16.1M | |||
| North America | 15.3M | |||
| Middle East/Africa | 3.8M | |||
| South America | 3.0M |
Max = 36.4M. Widths: Asia 100.00%, Europe 44.20%, North America 41.91%, Middle East/Africa 10.31%, South America 8.27%
Largest passenger car markets in 2024
| Label | Bar | Value | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | 22.9M | |||
| United States | 12.7M | |||
| India | 4.4M | |||
| Japan | 3.7M | |||
| Brazil | 1.9M | |||
| South Korea | 1.4M |
Max = 22.9M. Widths: China 100.00%, United States 55.38%, India 19.01%, Japan 16.18%, Brazil 8.43%, South Korea 6.15%
Electric vehicle momentum inside the automotive market
Electric vehicles remain one of the biggest forces reshaping the automotive market. The IEA said global electric car sales exceeded 17 million in 2024, and more than one in five new cars sold worldwide was electric. China stayed far ahead of every other market, with electric car sales above 11 million and an EV share close to 50% of all car sales.
Europe’s EV market was flatter in 2024, but its electric share still remained around 20%. In the United States, electric car sales rose to 1.6 million and reached more than 10% of the market. The IEA also said the global electric car fleet reached almost 58 million by the end of 2024, and it expects 2025 electric car sales to exceed 20 million worldwide.
What these global automotive market statistics show
The automotive market remains massive, but growth is uneven across categories and geographies. Global vehicle output in 2024 stayed close to pre-pandemic levels, yet the balance of power continues to tilt toward Asia, especially China. That pattern shows up in both manufacturing and demand, with China leading production and passenger car sales by a wide margin.
At the same time, electrification is becoming a structural part of the market rather than a niche segment. EVs already account for more than one-fifth of global new car sales, and current 2025 forecasts point to a further step up. That means the next phase of the automotive market will likely be shaped less by pure volume recovery and more by technology mix, regional policy, and the speed of EV adoption.
Sources
- OICA, World Motor Vehicle Production by Country/Region and Type, 2024
- ACEA, Economic and Market Report: Global and EU auto industry, full year 2024
- IEA, Global EV Outlook 2025
- S&P Global Mobility, 2025 auto sales forecast