More registrations of new electric and hybrid cars than diesels
In 2021, 511,418 new motor vehicles and 930,730 second-hand vehicles were registered in Belgium. 392,769 of these were new passenger cars and 714,868 second-hand passenger cars.
Sales of new hybrid passenger cars (petrol or diesel + electric) have more than tripled in two years: from 35,010 cars in 2019 to 115,317 in 2021. Sales of purely electric cars also rose sharply from 8,892 in 2019 to 22,774 in 2021.
The share of new diesels (21%) fell by more than 10 percentage points to well below the level of hybrid and electric cars in 2021.
| new passenger cars | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 557,970 | 439,038 | 392,769 | share compared to total | ||
| petrol | 336,731 | 211,646 | 169,019 | 60.3% | 48.2% | 43.0% |
| diesel | 173,704 | 137,015 | 82,566 | 31.1% | 31.2% | 21.0% |
| gas + petrol | 115 | 996 | 2,094 | 0.0% | 0.2% | 0.5% |
| electric | 8,892 | 15,044 | 22,774 | 1.6% | 3.4% | 5.8% |
| natural gas | 3,147 | 2,796 | 913 | 0.6% | 0.6% | 0.2% |
| hybrid | 35,010 | 71,457 | 115,317 | 6.3% | 16.3% | 29.4% |
With a market share of 43%, petrol cars still remain the most popular new cars. However, it is losing ground again (-5.2%) to electric and especially hybrid passenger cars, which now have a combined market share of 35.2%. In 2019, this was only 7.9 %.
71% of newly registered hybrid and electric cars in 2021 are cars registered by companies against 29% by individuals.
Fewer and fewer diesels on the second-hand market
The downward trend in second-hand diesel cars continues: the market share fell by 18.7 percentage points between 2015 and 2021. Only 43.9% of second-hand cars run on diesel, down from 62.6% in 2015.
Petrol cars have a 50.9% market share on the second-hand market; hybrid cars (including electric) have a 4.8% share, which is a little more than double compared to 2020.
More registrations of second-hand cars, less of new cars
The number of new motor vehicles put into circulation decreased by 8.0% in 2021. Due to the impact of the Covid-19 crisis, the number of new vehicle registrations had already dropped by 19.2% by 2020, whereas in the previous five years there had always been a slight increase.
Second-hand vehicle registrations, after three consecutive years of decline, rose again by 6.3% in 2021 to above 2017 levels.
Sales of new motorbikes showed a slight decrease compared to 2020 (-0.3%) and an increase of 3.9% for second-hand motorbikes.
Also, 16,298 speed pedelecs were registered in 2021; this is 12% more than in 2020.
| Registration of new vehicles | 1998 | 2008 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | Evolution 2021/2020 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 549,172 | 652,590 | 682,696 | 550,668 | 506,131 | -8.1% | ||||
| Passenger vehicles | 463,724 | 540,542 | 557,970 | 439,038 | 392,769 | -10.5% | ||||
| Buses and coaches | 1,031 | 1,207 | 1,313 | 792 | 944 | +19.2% | ||||
| Commercial vehicles for the transport of goods (a) | 54,711 | 70,497 | 86,805 | 75,810 | 75,786 | -0.0% | ||||
| Tractors (b) | 5,495 | 6,331 | 6,341 | 3,311 | 4,278 | +29.2% | ||||
| Agricultural tractors | 2,944 | 3,901 | 4,764 | 4,990 | 5,709 | +14.4% | ||||
| Motorcycles (c) | 21,267 | 30,112 | 25,503 | 26,727 | 26,645 | -0.3% | ||||
| (a) Lorries, delivery vans, cross-country vehicles and tank vehicles. (b) Tractors are commercial motor vehicles coupled to a semi-trailer (vehicle without front axle). (c) All motorcycles driving 40km/h or faster. That is all motorcycles and most mopeds. (d) Remark: The high number of registrations of second-hand agricultural tractors in 2014 is due to the introduction of the red G number plate (re-registration of agricultural tractors) "https://mobilit.belgium.be/fr/circulationroutiere/immatriculation_des_v… Source: Statbel (Statistics Belgium) based on administrative sources. " Source: Statbel (Statistics Belgium) based on administrative sources. | ||||||||||
| Registration of second-hand vehicles* | 1998 | 2008 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | Evolution 2021/2020 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 755,199 | 742,926 | 835,112 | 792,440 | 844,333 | +6.5% | ||||
| Passenger vehicles | 677,272 | 653,109 | 710,148 | 668,465 | 714,868 | +6.9% | ||||
| Buses and coaches | 1,137 | 810 | 1,260 | 848 | 803 | -5.3% | ||||
| Commercial vehicles for the transport of goods (a) | 66,048 | 77,426 | 110,752 | 110,480 | 114,647 | +3.8% | ||||
| Tractors (b) | 4,698 | 3,288 | 5,118 | 4,630 | 5,030 | +8.6% | ||||
| Agricultural tractors | 6,044 | 8,293 | 7,834 | 8,017 | 8,985 | +12.1% | ||||
| (a) Lorries, delivery vans, cross-country vehicles and tank vehicles. (b) Tractors are commercial motor vehicles coupled to a semi-trailer (vehicle without front axle). (d) Remark: The high number of registrations of second-hand agricultural tractors in 2014 is due to the introduction of the red G number plate (re-registration of agricultural tractors) * Specialized vehicles not included. "https://mobilit.belgium.be/fr/circulationroutiere/immatriculation_des_v… Source: Statbel (Statistics Belgium) based on administrative sources. " Source: Statbel (Statistics Belgium) based on administrative sources. | ||||||||||
Purpose and brief description
This statistic provides an overview of all vehicles motorized in Belgium that were registered with the Vehicle Registration Department (D.I.V.) of the FPS Mobility in a certain period.
Population
Registration of motor vehicles.
Frequency
Monthly
Timing of publication
Results available 15 days after the reference period.
Definitions
Types de véhicule : voitures de tourisme, autobus et autocars, camions, tracteurs routiers, tracteurs agricoles, les véhicules spéciaux, les motocycles.
Véhicules utilitaires pour le transport de marchandises : camions, camionnettes, tous terrains, camions-citernes.
Type de carburant : essence, diesel, gaz, électricité.
Les tracteurs sont des véhicules motorisés utilitaires auxquels sont attelés des semi-remorques (véhicule sans essieu avant).
Les véhicules spéciaux sont des véhicules lents dont les dimensions ou le poids excèdent les valeurs maximales normalement admises pour effectuer un transport de marchandises. La masse maximale autorisée en Belgique ne doit pas dépasser 44 tonnes. Les véhicules de cette catégorie ne peuvent donc circuler sur la voie publique que dans des conditions très strictes.
Tous les motocycles roulant à plus de 40 km/h, soit toutes les motocyclettes et la plupart des vélomoteurs.
Remarks
Le grand nombre d’immatriculations de tracteurs agricoles d’occasion en 2013 est dû à la réimmatriculation avec les plaques G rouges.
Voir : https://mobilit.belgium.be/fr/circulationroutiere/immatriculation_des_vehicules/plaques_dimmatriculation/plaque_g_rouge