Passenger cars and light trucks in the United States had an average age of 12.6 years in 2024. This figure represents a slight increase from 12.5 years in 2023. New vehicle sales decline amid pandemic Long-term auto loans and good quality might be reasons why American motorists keep their automobiles longer. That said, vehicle sales in the United States declined dramatically in the second quarter of 2020. As a result, U.S. vehicle age is expected to rise further as U.S. motorists put off vehicle purchases among the COVID-19 crisis in the country and took an interest in buying used cars. Throughout 2022 and 2023, U.S. vehicle sales remained relatively stable, despite geopolitical disruptions. Amid supply chain shortages, North American automobile sales are projected to increase to around 19 million units by 2024. The future market At 12.6 years old, the average vehicle age in the United States is at a record high but the newest cars on the market are entering the next era of automotive technology. Shared mobility, automation, and electrification are several key aspects of the modernization of the motor industry. Electric vehicles are anticipated to witness growing demand in the U.S. Already, electric cars are the favored choice in other important auto markets, including China.

The average age of passenger cars on the road in the European Union was 12 years in 2021, while the average truck was about 14.2 years old. Germany and the United Kingdom are the leading passenger car markets in Europe as of 2022.

Lithuanians hold on to their cars the longest

Of European countries, the oldest passenger cars were found in Eastern Europe in 2019. The average car in Lithuania was almost 17 years old. High-income countries like Luxembourg had a comparatively younger fleet. The average age of passenger cars in Luxembourg came to about 6.5 years.

World fleet comparison

Across the Atlantic the car and light truck fleet had a slightly higher average age to that reported in the European Union. Light vehicles registered in the United States were on average 12.1 years old. Comparatively, the age of passenger cars in Japan was noticeably lower. The average age of passenger cars on Japanese roads was just over nine years old.

As of 2020, Russia was the country with the highest average vehicle age when compared to China, the United States, and Germany. All of the country's registered vehicles were on average just under 14 years of age. By contrast, China's licensed vehicles fleet was overall younger, with a mean of 5.3 years of age.

On average, motorists in the United States continue to hold on to their vehicles for a longer time. In 2021, the average age of light vehicles on U.S. roads stood at 12.1 years, up from 10.3 years in 2009.

The average used private car age in France was at its highest from the past decade in 2023, when vehicles were on average nearly 11 years old. Used vehicle age has been increasing amid the COVID-19 pandemic and price inflation.

As of March 31, 2024, passenger cars in Japan had an average age of approximately 9.34 years. Over the past decade, the average age of passenger cars increased steadily, hinting at improved durability of vehicles owned in Japan. The Japanese automobile landscape The Japanese automotive industry developed rapidly during the 'economic miracle' post-World War II, making the country one of the largest motor vehicle producers in the world. While international competition within the automobile sector is tight, Japanese engineering is highly valued in its home market and abroad. Domestically produced cars are primarily exported to North America, whereas imported passenger cars arrive predominantly from Europe, followed by imports from Africa and other Asian regions. Domestic passenger car usage Japan’s usage rate of passenger cars was much higher among car owners from rural regions compared to those living in the country’s metropolitan areas, such as Tokyo or Osaka. Due to rising environmental awareness, green vehicle technologies, and car-sharing services that started to pick up in Japan, a new approach to vehicle usage and purchase behavior has likely been sparked.

Residents of all CEE countries, except for Slovenia, drove cars older than the EU average. For example, on average, Estonia recorded the most aging passenger car fleet of almost 17 years old. On the other hand, the average resident of Slovenia owned a car that was 11 years old in 2023.

With after-sales services and vehicle maintenance improvement, passenger cars grew to 6.6 years old on average in 2020, yet comparatively younger than the European and North American markets. China's average age of passenger vehicles was projected to increase steadily to 8.7 years by 2030.

In 2020, the Brazilian passenger car fleet had an average age of 10 years and two months. This represented an increase of one year and a half in comparison with the average fleet age reported in 2014. Meanwhile, the number of automobiles in circulation in Brazil has increased annually in the past decade.

In 2017, the average age of the EU light commercial vehicle fleet was 11 years, while the age of heavy commercial vehicles averaged 12 years. Passenger cars on EU roads were 11.1 years old, on average.

The stock of passenger cars (as per 1st of January) in all types of passenger cars in Denmark increased by 0.2 (+2.13 percent) since the previous year. With 9.6, the stock of passenger cars thereby reached its highest value in the observed period.

This statistic shows the passenger car fleet in Spain in the years 2017, 2018 and 2022, by average age. It is estimated that the total number of passenger cars with more than 10 years will amount to 15.1 million vehicles by 2022.

The statistic illustrates the average age of passenger cars in European countries as of 2019. That year, at 8.6 years, Luxembourg was the European nation with the lowest average age of registered cars. Lithuania, Estonia, and Romania were the nations with the highest average age of passenger cars, at 16.8, 16.7, and 16.5 years, respectively. The average age of passenger cars in the European Union (that is, excluding Norway, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom) was 11.5 years.

In the period from 2010 to 2023, the average age of passenger cars on the road in Finland steadily increased. In 2023, the average age was 12.8 years, which was the highest figure reported during this period.

This graph shows the average age of cars on the road in the United Kingdom (UK) between 2000 and 2016, including projections for 2015 and 2016. It can be seen that before the recession the average age of cars in the UK was falling, however, since the recession the average age has risen drastically and will probably continue to rise. These figures show that people were preferring to hold onto their cars for longer rather than sell them to buy new cars. Comparing the projected average age of cars on the road in the UK in 2015 with the average age of light commercial vehicles and the average age of buses in use in Great Britain in 2015, shows that the average age of these vehicles is slightly higher than the age of cars on the road. On the other hand, the average age of auctioned cars in the UK in 2015 was slightly lower than the average age of cars on the road in 2015.

In 2024, the average age of light motor vehicles in use in Japan was 10.73 years, increasing compared to the previous year. This average included passenger cars, trucks, and special-purpose vehicles.

In 2022, the average age of the European Union car fleet was 12.3 years. The age of the average car on EU roads increased by roughly 11 percent from 11.1 years in 2017 to 12.3 years in 2022, indicating that EU motorists are hanging on to their vehicles longer.

In 2024, the average age of light motor passenger cars (kei cars) in use in Japan was 9.61 years, increasing from 7.97 years a decade earlier. The average age of regular passenger cars has increased as well over the last ten years.

This statistic shows the distribution of passenger car stock in Germany from 2019 to 2024, by age of vehicle. In 2024, around 27.5 percent of passenger cars in Germany had been used for 5 to 9 years.

This statistic represents the age of vehicles in operation in Canada from 1990 to 2016. In 2016, the average age of motor vehicles on Canadian roads stood at 9.66 years. The oldest fleets in Canada were reported by British Columbia and Saskatchewan.