Cars on UK roads
How many cars are on UK roads, by make and model
33,796,875 cars were licensed in Great Britain at the end of June 2026, with another 3,722,272 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT and DVLA licensing statistics. That is up 1.5% on a year earlier. 5.9% are battery electric. The most common model is the Ford Fiesta, with 1,234,335.
Data to 2026-06-30 · Page updated 2026-09-28 · Publisher: 73 Auto
- Licensed cars, GB
- 33,796,875
- end of June 2026
- Change in a year
- +1.5%
- 5 years: +5.5%
- First registered, last 12 months
- 2,176,092
- UK, July 2025 to June 2026
Cars on the road by make
Every make with at least 10,000 licensed cars and at least one model page. Each make page lists its models, fuel mix and age profile.
| Make | Licensed | Share of all cars | Change in a year | Electric or plug-in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ford | 3,615,010 | 10.7% | −2.6% | 3.1% |
| Volkswagen | 2,937,243 | 8.7% | +1.5% | 7.3% |
| Vauxhall | 2,487,525 | 7.4% | −4.5% | 3.0% |
| BMW | 2,067,127 | 6.1% | +1.2% | 13.9% |
| Audi | 1,995,404 | 5.9% | +1.9% | 8.7% |
| Toyota | 1,793,092 | 5.3% | +2.3% | 2.8% |
| Mercedes-Benz | 1,747,692 | 5.2% | +1.1% | 10.0% |
| Nissan | 1,707,953 | 5.1% | +0.8% | 4.5% |
| Kia | 1,297,947 | 3.8% | +6.1% | 11.4% |
| Peugeot | 1,227,184 | 3.6% | −1.0% | 6.2% |
| Hyundai | 1,162,138 | 3.4% | +4.4% | 10.5% |
| Skoda | 1,005,752 | 3.0% | +5.2% | 8.4% |
| Land Rover | 933,150 | 2.8% | +1.5% | 9.8% |
| MINI | 904,018 | 2.7% | +1.9% | 7.7% |
| Honda | 900,084 | 2.7% | −2.7% | 1.7% |
| Renault | 890,268 | 2.6% | +1.0% | 8.3% |
| Citroen | 781,664 | 2.3% | −3.3% | 3.1% |
| Volvo | 761,964 | 2.3% | +5.8% | 17.2% |
| SEAT | 600,813 | 1.8% | −1.1% | 0.9% |
| Fiat | 593,331 | 1.8% | −3.9% | 2.0% |
| Mazda | 572,267 | 1.7% | −0.1% | 2.9% |
| Suzuki | 471,342 | 1.4% | +1.2% | 0.8% |
| MG | 463,122 | 1.4% | +22.6% | 29.0% |
| Jaguar | 350,437 | 1.0% | −4.8% | 10.1% |
| Tesla | 299,939 | 0.9% | +19.7% | 100.0% |
| Dacia | 298,804 | 0.9% | +7.7% | 2.6% |
| Porsche | 243,232 | 0.7% | +5.3% | 19.7% |
| Lexus | 207,972 | 0.6% | +4.6% | 10.7% |
| Mitsubishi | 163,254 | 0.5% | −6.1% | 28.2% |
| CUPRA | 134,610 | 0.4% | +44.8% | 48.7% |
| BYD | 94,267 | 0.3% | +228.9% | 100.0% |
| Jeep | 92,154 | 0.3% | +6.9% | 9.5% |
| Smart | 86,055 | 0.3% | −1.1% | 11.7% |
| Alfa Romeo | 67,334 | 0.2% | −3.2% | 2.1% |
| Jaecoo | 62,019 | 0.2% | +626.3% | 69.5% |
| Polestar | 57,344 | 0.2% | +42.9% | 100.0% |
| Subaru | 55,922 | 0.2% | −2.4% | 1.5% |
| DS | 47,483 | 0.1% | −2.0% | 8.2% |
| Omoda | 41,634 | 0.1% | +298.1% | 41.3% |
| Chevrolet | 38,805 | 0.1% | −16.6% | 0.2% |
| Saab | 34,478 | 0.1% | −14.0% | 0.0% |
| Abarth | 29,704 | 0.1% | −1.1% | 3.4% |
| Rover | 28,415 | 0.1% | −7.6% | 0.0% |
| Bentley | 26,832 | 0.1% | +0.5% | 5.9% |
| Aston Martin | 25,420 | 0.1% | +1.9% | 0.2% |
| Chery | 23,224 | 0.1% | — | 67.1% |
| SsangYong | 20,834 | 0.1% | −4.5% | 0.9% |
The 25 most common models
| Model | Licensed | Change in a year |
|---|---|---|
| Ford Fiesta | 1,234,335 | −5.3% |
| Volkswagen Golf | 899,678 | −1.8% |
| Vauxhall Corsa | 894,502 | −3.2% |
| Ford Focus | 842,798 | −6.8% |
| Nissan Qashqai | 685,884 | +2.5% |
| Volkswagen Polo | 664,223 | −0.2% |
| MINI Hatch | 631,835 | no change |
| Toyota Yaris | 575,213 | +3.2% |
| Vauxhall Astra | 513,324 | −9.9% |
| Audi A3 | 469,235 | +0.2% |
| BMW 3 Series | 457,570 | −4.8% |
| BMW 1 Series | 427,661 | +0.1% |
| Kia Sportage | 423,429 | +10.3% |
| Fiat 500 | 421,235 | −2.3% |
| Nissan Juke | 408,337 | +4.8% |
| Mercedes-Benz A-Class | 379,276 | +0.5% |
| Ford Kuga | 368,344 | +3.2% |
| Honda Jazz | 343,688 | −1.3% |
| Volkswagen Tiguan | 336,011 | +6.6% |
| Mercedes-Benz C-Class | 322,420 | −4.5% |
| Renault Clio | 313,108 | −4.1% |
| Vauxhall Mokka | 306,390 | +3.5% |
| Toyota Aygo | 305,212 | +2.6% |
| Hyundai i10 | 273,965 | +0.6% |
| Audi A1 | 266,565 | +4.4% |
Which models are growing and which are disappearing
Among models with at least 20,000 on the road, 6 of the ten fastest risers are mostly electric or plug-in, and 10 of the ten fastest fallers had fewer than 100 first registrations in the last year, so are no longer sold new. 73 Auto calculation from the official quarterly counts.
Fastest-growing models
| Model | Licensed | Change in a year |
|---|---|---|
| Jaecoo 7 | 49,518 | +479.9% |
| Omoda 5 | 34,056 | +241.0% |
| BYD Seal | 50,926 | +229.4% |
| Ford Explorer | 21,680 | +110.8% |
| Volvo EX30 | 23,760 | +73.1% |
| Skoda Enyaq | 46,793 | +39.0% |
| CUPRA Born | 30,957 | +35.1% |
| MG HS | 125,032 | +31.1% |
| MG MG3 | 55,715 | +31.0% |
| Mazda CX-30 | 44,171 | +30.7% |
Fastest-shrinking models
| Model | Licensed | Change in a year |
|---|---|---|
| Peugeot 206 | 24,807 | −24.1% |
| Peugeot 207 | 87,874 | −19.2% |
| Fiat Punto | 45,770 | −18.7% |
| Saab 9-3 | 25,842 | −15.2% |
| Volvo V50 | 21,628 | −14.1% |
| Vauxhall Zafira | 143,430 | −13.9% |
| Toyota Avensis | 46,060 | −13.2% |
| Ford Fusion | 39,065 | −12.8% |
| Vauxhall Meriva | 68,053 | −12.6% |
| Vauxhall Insignia | 152,729 | −11.7% |
Cars licensed, year by year
Official data: cars licensed (taxed, or exempt and on the road) in Great Britain at the end of each June. The peak in this series was 33,796,875 at the end of June 2026, the latest quarter, so numbers are still at their highest.
| Quarter end | Licensed | Change on a year earlier |
|---|---|---|
| June 2026 | 33,796,875 | +1.5% |
| June 2025 | 33,282,727 | +1.2% |
| June 2024 | 32,888,475 | +1.3% |
| June 2023 | 32,456,755 | +1.2% |
| June 2022 | 32,084,863 | +0.2% |
| June 2021 | 32,030,491 | +1.3% |
| June 2020 | 31,619,167 | −0.7% |
| June 2019 | 31,842,466 | +1.1% |
| June 2018 | 31,498,203 | +0.9% |
| June 2017 | 31,212,176 | +2.2% |
| June 2016 | 30,541,761 | — |
Licensed cars by fuel type
| Fuel (DfT category) | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 18,333,733 | 54.3% |
| Diesel | 9,280,274 | 27.5% |
| Hybrid electric (petrol) | 3,051,246 | 9.0% |
| Battery electric | 1,983,087 | 5.9% |
| Plug-in hybrid electric (petrol) | 988,066 | 2.9% |
| Hybrid electric (diesel) | 114,674 | 0.3% |
| Gas | 24,969 | 0.1% |
| Plug-in hybrid electric (diesel) | 10,825 | 0.0% |
| Range extended electric | 9,664 | 0.0% |
| Other fuel types | 213 | 0.0% |
| Fuel cell electric | 124 | 0.0% |
How old cars on the road are
Official data from DfT table VEH0124: cars licensed and SORN at 31 December 2025 in the whole UK, by the year the car was first used (for a car imported used, that is its first use abroad). This table is annual and UK-wide, so its total (34,485,453 licensed) differs from the quarterly Great Britain figure.
| First used | Licensed | Share of licensed | SORN |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,952,675 | 5.7% | 21,232 |
| 2024 | 1,878,135 | 5.5% | 18,274 |
| 2023 | 1,818,692 | 5.3% | 13,368 |
| 2022 | 1,492,835 | 4.3% | 14,195 |
| 2021 | 1,535,902 | 4.5% | 15,769 |
| 2020 | 1,520,847 | 4.4% | 17,370 |
| 2019 | 2,142,711 | 6.2% | 28,136 |
| 2018 | 2,154,751 | 6.3% | 34,194 |
| 2017 | 2,277,398 | 6.6% | 40,451 |
| 2016 | 2,385,950 | 6.9% | 48,187 |
| 2015 | 2,287,776 | 6.6% | 57,280 |
| 2014 | 2,078,632 | 6.0% | 68,945 |
| 2013 | 1,807,735 | 5.2% | 80,349 |
| 2012 | 1,510,706 | 4.4% | 90,792 |
| 2011 | 1,285,578 | 3.7% | 105,360 |
| 2010 | 1,190,799 | 3.5% | 127,303 |
| 2009 | 1,023,453 | 3.0% | 138,994 |
| 2008 | 797,202 | 2.3% | 171,686 |
| 2007 | 706,403 | 2.1% | 214,480 |
| 2006 | 517,567 | 1.5% | 217,157 |
| 2005 and earlier | 2,119,706 | 6.1% | 2,481,410 |
How many cars are still on the road
73 Auto analysis of two official tables: cars first registered in the UK each year (VEH0160) and cars of that year of first use still licensed at 31 December 2025 (VEH0124). The ratio is an indication, not a tracked cohort: imported used cars and cars exported, scrapped or declared off the road all move the figure, and years where the ratio exceeded 100% or fewer than 1,000 cars were registered are left out.
| Year | First registered | Licensed end 2025 | Still licensed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2,000,106 | 1,878,135 | 93.9% |
| 2023 | 1,945,832 | 1,818,692 | 93.5% |
| 2022 | 1,652,128 | 1,492,835 | 90.4% |
| 2021 | 1,677,245 | 1,535,902 | 91.6% |
| 2020 | 1,656,403 | 1,520,847 | 91.8% |
| 2019 | 2,346,576 | 2,142,711 | 91.3% |
| 2018 | 2,394,042 | 2,154,751 | 90.0% |
| 2017 | 2,564,330 | 2,277,398 | 88.8% |
| 2016 | 2,723,774 | 2,385,950 | 87.6% |
| 2015 | 2,661,020 | 2,287,776 | 86.0% |
Limitations
Licensed counts are for Great Britain at the quarter end; the age table and still-licensed indication use the UK-wide annual table at 31 December 2025. DfT could not assign a model to some cars, and some generic models span several different cars; those count towards national and make totals but have no model page. Pages exist only for models with at least 5,000 licensed cars.
Found the model? Now check the exact car
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UK number plate or 17-character VIN
Where these figures come from
- Vehicle licensing statistics data files: VEH0120 (GB), VEH0124 and VEH0160 (UK) — Department for Transport and DVLA. Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Shares, changes, rankings and the still-licensed indication (73 Auto analysis of the DfT files) — 73 Auto. Derived figures.
Figures labelled as 73 Auto estimates are our own analysis of these sources, set out in the methodology and data sources. To report a factual error, see corrections.