World automotive registrations fell 14% in

Oxford, UK – Worldwide registrations of new light vehicles fell by 14% in 2020 to 77.7m units, compared with 90.1m in 2019, according to LMC Automotive. 

The decline was a result of the coronavirus pandemic, with lockdowns and illness reducing economic activity in many nations. 

Registrations in Western Europe were down the most among the high-purchasing regions with a 24% fall to 12.4m units, followed by the US, which was down 14% to 14.5m units. China, the world's biggest market shank 4.2% to 24.5m units. 

Compared to the second half of the year, the first half of 2020 was slow, with sales down 10.4% in January and 19.9% in February. When the pandemic bit outside China in March, registrations were down 37% and by April, global registrations were down by almost 45% to 4m units in the month.

The rebound was fast and, by July, registrations were down 6.8% on the same month in 2019. The registration numbers in August 2020 matched those in August 2019, and have been close to 2019 monthly levels since then. 

In December 2020, world car registrations were up 2.3% compared with the same month in 2019, at 8.33m units, LMC said. 

In the US, sales were 6.4% higher in December at 1.62m units. In the same month in 2019, US dealers sold 1.52m units. 

Meanwhile, in China, according to LMC, sales hit 2.8m units, up 5.8% on the previous month. In the same month in 2019, Chinese dealers sold 2.7m units. 

In Western Europe, sales were 1.3m units in the month. This is 3.7% lower than the amount sold in December 2019. 

Sales in Brazil and Argentina fell to 253,000 units in the month. This compares with 273,000 units in the same month in 2019.