The United States automotive industry does not simply sell cars, but it contributes quite extensively to the well-being of the country’s economy.
It is deemed the most prominent manufacturing industry, keeping over 2 million individuals employed and financing billions into research and development each year.
Retail statistics make up a large section of the county’s consumer expenditure and are a crucial indicator of annual economic growth.
Many factors should be taken into consideration when analyzing this impressive sector, and this article will touch on a few of those, helping you gain a clearer picture of the industry.
Car Sales Statistics – Editor’s Choice
- The number of licensed drivers in the United States is 234.9 million.
- In 2020, over 3.4 million cars were sold by the auto industry in the USA.
- Because of the oil and energy crisis during 1982, consumers prefer light vehicles such as cars because of their fuel-efficient features.
- In 2020, around 37 percent of new car sales are from people aged 57 to 75 years old.
- From 1951-2020, the total number of vehicles sold in the US peaked in 2016.
Historical Data of Cars Sold Each Year
In view of new unit sales, the table below represents the United State’s automotive market, including both trucks and passenger vehicles. It is a summary of the data found in the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.
Starting in 2005, the market saw a continuous decline until 2010, when sales saw a drastic increase over the next 3 years, followed by a steady fall into the negative.
From 2005-2009, car sales dropped by about 6,500,000, with the largest fall taking place between 2008-2009 (a growth percentage of -26,73%). This was due to the financial crisis.
From 2010-2013, sales increased drastically by about 12.29% each year. 2016 marked the year of the most car sales recorded thus far, and although sales started to drop after that, they remained high at about 17,000,000. Only in 2020-2022 was there a large decrease to below 15,000,000.
| Year | Sales | Growth Percentage |
| 2005 | 16,881,867 | 0.00% |
| 2006 | 16,430,689 | -2.67% |
| 2007 | 16,008,175 | -2.57% |
| 2008 | 13,113,899 | -18.08% |
| 2009 | 10,347,715 | -21.09% |
| 2010 | 11,510,416 | 11.24% |
| 2011 | 12,695,712 | 10.30% |
| 2012 | 15,376,264 | 21.11% |
| 2013 | 15,490,245 | 0.74% |
| 2014 | 16,424,017 | 6.03% |
| 2015 | 17,404,970 | 5.97% |
| 2016 | 17,500,719 | 0.55% |
| 2017 | 17,212,565 | -1.65% |
| 2018 | 17,323,849 | 0.65% |
| 2019 | 17,023,894 | -1.73% |
| 2020 | 14,697,837 | -13.66% |
| 2021 | 14,926,900 | 1.53% |
| 2022 | 13,899,871 | -7.39% |
US Car Sales Statistics from January 2020
United States automobile sales averaged 1,224,819,75 for 2020.
Between January and February, there was a slight increase in sales. However, these dropped by nearly 900,000 by April.
From May through July, there was a steady increase in auto sales, from approximately 1,100,000 to 1,200,000, and 1,300,000 each month, respectively.
The last 5 months saw small increases and decreases but ended on a high of just below 1,600,000, marking December as the month with the greatest amount of sales.
Below is the list of sales units per month for the year 2020:
US Auto Sales by State
How Many Cars Are Sold in California Each Year?
California often records the highest amount of car sales than any other U.S. state, hovering at about 2 million sales each year. The lowest sales made covering 10 years was in 2020, selling 1,661,560 units, which is not much lower compared to other years.
Below is a list of California’s annual sales records since 2012:
Below is a table displaying the top 10 states recording the highest car sales per year for 2018:
German Car Sales in The US
In 2022, European cars ranked top of car sales in the United States. In the fourth quarter, BMW, Mercedes Benz, and Volkswagen came in first, second, and third place, respectively.
German car sales amount to nearly half (45,51%) of the total car sales in the United States.
When compared to 2021, BMW sales decreased by 5.7%, VW decreased by 1.8%, and Mercedes-Benz went up by 8.3% by the end of 2022.
Here is a list of the number of foreign car brands sold in the US in 2022:
- Volkswagen: 480,967
- Audi: 213,410
- BMW: 209,722
- Mercedes Benz: 243,999
- Porsche:66,201
Electric Car Sales Statistics
California offers the largest market for electric car sales, and Statista estimates that by 2030, there will be over 3 million EVs in use in this state. This is quite significant considering that there were 3.3 million electric vehicles used globally in 2018.
The market share of electric cars almost doubled to 5% this year in 2022. Tesla sold over 1.31 million vehicles in the US. Two models came into the Top 10 lists regarding sales – Model Y with 253,793 units sold, and Model 3 with 190,472 units sold.
This resulted in a 40% increase in deliveries for Tesla in the last year. But there are others besides Tesla in the electric vehicles market. Ford, with its electric Mustang Mach-E and Chevrolet Bolt EV are worth mentioning.
Check Out Just the Facts: The Auto Industry’s Electric Future:
New Vehicle Sales vs Used Car Sales
1,144,279 new cars were sold in January 2020, a 1% increase from January 2019. January 2020 saw 300,983 new passenger car sales (decreasing by 14.8%).
When comparing at any given period, the records have never shown that new car sales surpass used car sales, in fact, in 2018, about 17 million new car sales were made, whereas used car sales were approximately double that, around 40 million. These data comparisons have remained similar for the past decade.
The financial crisis in 2009 affected new and used car vehicle sales, where only 10.4 million new cars and 35.5 million used cars were sold. However, this was not unique to the United States, as recordings worldwide were similar.
Regarding used car sales, 41.6 million were sold in 2000, 44.1 million in 2005, 38.8 million in 2010, and 41.2 million in 2014.
Source: 2008-2009 financial crisis
Top-Selling Car Sales by Brand in The US
The most popular cars in the United States in 2020 can be seen by the sales made simply in the first month, and these include the Ford-F series (58,150 sold) coming in first place, the Chevrolet Silverado (43,030 sold) ranking second, the Ram – Ram 1500 (36,986 sold) coming in third, the Toyota – RAV4 (34,086 sold) sitting at fourth, and the Honda – CR-V (26,027 sold) ranking fifth.
Best-Selling Cars and SUVs Sold in The Us for 2021
Toyota was at the forefront for both passenger car sales and sport utility vehicles in the United States in 2021, with the Toyota Camry having sold under 177,700 and the Toyota RAV4 making 221,200 sales within the first 6 months.
Toyota finished 2022. with an increase in sales by 9.6%, with 2,108,458 vehicles sold. All-time favorite SUV model Rav4 sold 366,741 units and finished in fourth place in overall sales in the US. Best selling in sedan class is Camry, with 295,201 sold units.
Toyota CAMRY
Toyota RAV4
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, consistently low fuel prices, and changing preferences and interests, the market seems to be shifting to light trucks, with 3.4 million automatics and 11 million light trucks being sold in the United States in 2020 (in January 2020, 843,296 pickup trucks and SUVs were sold).
Statistical Data of Registered Vehicles in The Us
There are 287.3 million registered motor vehicles in the United States.
This is the largest manufacturing industry in the US and contributes to about 3% of the country’s GDP (Gross Domestic Product).
The pinnacle of their new car sales takes place from the end of February through the end of May and again from September through November.
Whenever there is a high demand, prices increase from 10%-15%.
Interestingly, automakers’ primary source of ad profit has come from advertising since 2015.
FAQs
How many vehicles are purchased daily?
There are around 46,575 cars bought each day in the United States.
How Many Cars Are Produced in the United States Each Year?
There were about 2.2 million cars made in the United States in 2020.
How Many Cars Are Built Every Day?
There were approximately 152,971 cars produced each day in 2020.
What time do new cars come out each year?
New model-year cars will normally be released in the autumn of the previous calendar year but can start from mid-to-late summer.
Final Considerations
Not only has the automotive industry made up a big part of our lives, but it also makes up a large contribution to the economy, making up 3% of the country’s total GDP and employing more than 2 million people.
After the financial crisis struck in 2008 and 2009, the United States suffered a blow to its car sales. After the Great Recession, they were able to recover only in 2015 by reaching their targets, and in 2016 they sold the most amount of cars from 1951-2020.
California often records the highest number of car sales in the United States compared to other states, averaging about 2 million sales per year. Although electric cars are not as popular in the United States, California also records the highest sales amongst these cars and offers the best market for them.
European car sales make up nearly half of the total sales in the United States. In 2020, the top 3 best sellers were BMW, Mercedes Benz, and Volkswagen, respectively.
The number of used car sales seems to surpass new car sales. Factors such as the covid-19 pandemic, consistently low fuel prices, and changing preferences and interests seem to contribute to the market shifting to light trucks.
References
https://www.zippia.com/answers/how-many-licensed-drivers-are-in-the-us/
https://www.statista.com/statistics/199974/us-car-sales-since-1951/
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https://www.statista.com/statistics/1267585/us-car-buyers-by-age-group/
https://www.statista.com/statistics/199974/us-car-sales-since-1951/
https://www.statista.com/statistics/243596/vehicle-sales-of-european-car-brands-in-the-united-states/
https://www.marklines.com/en/statistics/flash_sales/automotive-sales-in-usa-by-month
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https://www.caranddriver.com/news/g39628015/best-selling-cars-2022/
https://www.cnbc.com/2023/01/02/tesla-tsla-q4-2022-vehicle-delivery-and-production-numbers.html
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https://policyadvice.net/insurance/insights/us-auto-sales-statistics/
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/260164730_The_impact_of_the_2008-2009_crisis_on_the_automotive_industry_Global_trends_and_firm-level_effects_in_Central_Europe
https://www.statista.com/statistics/276419/best-selling-cars-in-the-united-states/
https://www.goodcarbadcar.net/toyota-rav4-sales-figures/
https://carfigures.com/us-market-brand/toyota/camry
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