21 % fewer registrations of new passenger cars in 2020
In 2020, 555,742 new motor vehicles and 875,554 second-hand vehicles were registered in Belgium. The number of new motor vehicles put into circulation has decreased by 19.2 %, while the registrations of second-hand vehicles has decreased by 3.9 %. The impact of the Covid-19 crisis was the most significant in March, April and May 2020. With only 5,450 new cars and 10,936 second-hand cars, sales hit an all-time low in April.
New passenger car registrations decreased by 21.3 % in 2020, while the previous five years always showed a slight increase. The decrease is the most significant in Walloon Brabant with -33.3 %, followed by the provinces Antwerp (-24.6 %), Flemish Brabant (-23.3 %) and the Brussels-Capital Region (-23.1 %). The registration of second-hand cars also experienced a slightly sharper decline than in the previous year (-5.9 % in 2020 compared to -1.4 % in 2019).
Motorbike sales continued to do well, however, increasing by 4.8 % for new and 9.9 % for second-hand motorbikes compared to 2019.
14,547 speed pedelecs were also sold in 2020, which is almost as much as in 2019.
The market share of new electric and hybrid cars increased by almost 12 % over one year
With a market share of 48.2 %, petrol cars still remain the most popular new cars. However, it is losing considerable ground (-12.1 %) to electric and especially hybrid passenger cars, which together now have a market share of 19.7 %. In 2019, this was only 7.9 %. Sales of hybrid cars (petrol or diesel + electric) more than doubled in one year: from 35,010 cars in 2019 to 71,457 in 2020. The share of new diesels remained unchanged in 2020 (31.2 %) compared to 2019 after years of decline.
For the first time in years, more petrol cars than diesel cars on the second-hand market
The downward trend in second-hand diesel cars continues, however, with the market share declining by 14.4 % between 2015 and 2020. Less than half of second-hand cars (48.2 %) are still diesel, compared to 62.6 % in 2015. With a market share of 49.1 %, there are therefore now more petrol cars than diesel cars on the second-hand market.
| Registration of new vehicles | 1998 | 2008 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Evolution 2020/2019 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 549,172 | 652,590 | 677,793 | 682,696 | 550,668 | -19.3% | ||||
| Passenger vehicles | 463,724 | 540,542 | 557,487 | 557,970 | 439,038 | -21.3% | ||||
| Buses and coaches | 1,031 | 1,207 | 1,062 | 1,313 | 792 | -39.7% | ||||
| Commercial vehicles for the transport of goods (a) | 54,711 | 70,497 | 82,864 | 86,805 | 75,810 | -12.7% | ||||
| Tractors (b) | 5,495 | 6,331 | 6,629 | 6,341 | 3,311 | -47.8% | ||||
| Agricultural tractors | 2,944 | 3,901 | 4,470 | 4,764 | 4,990 | +4.7% | ||||
| Motorcycles (c) | 21,267 | 30,112 | 25,281 | 25,503 | 26,727 | +4.8% | ||||
| (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. |
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| Registration of second-hand vehicles* | 1998 | 2008 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Evolution 2020/2019 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 755,199 | 742,926 | 841,086 | 835,112 | 792,440 | -5.1% | ||||
| Passenger vehicles | 677,272 | 653,109 | 719,999 | 710,148 | 668,465 | -5.9% | ||||
| Buses and coaches | 1,137 | 810 | 2,752 | 1,260 | 848 | -32.7% | ||||
| Commercial vehicles for the transport of goods (a) | 66,048 | 77,426 | 105,662 | 110,752 | 110,480 | -0.2% | ||||
| Tractors (b) | 4,698 | 3,288 | 5,061 | 5,118 | 4,630 | -9.5% | ||||
| Agricultural tractors | 6,044 | 8,293 | 7,612 | 7,834 | 8,017 | +2.3% | ||||
| (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). (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. |
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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