EU new car registration continues to decline in September

Brussels – Demand for new passenger cars in the EU shrank by 23.1% year-on-year to 718,598 units last month, marking the lowest number of registrations for a month of September since 1995.

In its latest monthly report, published 15 Oct, the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) linked the decline to “a lack of supply of vehicles due to the ongoing semiconductor shortage.” 

September’s weak performance was seen across all major EU markets which recorded double-digit declines.

Italy had the lowest registration rate at 32.7% followed by Germany, France and Spain which recorded declines of 25.7%, 20.5% and 15.7% respectively.

Over the first three quarters of 2021, car registrations across the EU climbed 6.6% to reach 7.5 million units, as significant gains earlier in the year helped keep cumulative volumes in positive territory. 

Across the four largest markets, Italy, Spain and France remained positive posting overall growths of 20.6%, 8.8% and 8.0% each. 

By contrast, the German car market slipped into negative territory with a 1.2% decline.