Passenger car sales in Europe fell 24 percent in January
Sales of new passenger cars in the European Union (EU) fell by almost a quarter to a record low at the beginning of the year. The main reason was anti-epidemic measures, which continue to have a major negative impact on sales in the EU. Another factor was that this January had one working day less than January in 2020.
The number of new car registrations fell 24% in January to 726,491 from 956,447 in the same month a year ago, the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (
ACEA) said. This was the lowest January sale recorded.
In 2020, marked by strict lockdowns and economic upheaval, car sales in the 27-member European Union slumped by some 3.0 million to under 10 million, according to ACEA.
Almost all 27 EU markets saw double-digit declines in January, including three of the four largest. Sales fell by 51.1% in Spain, 31.1% in Germany and 14% in Italy. Sales in
France decreased by 5.8%. Sweden managed an increase of 22.5%.