Cyprus had EU’s fourth highest ratio of private cars per population in 2022

Cyprus had the fourth highest number of passenger cars per population in 2022 with 658 cars per 1,000 inhabitants, which was well above the EU average of 560 vehicles per 1,000 inhabitants, according to Eurostat.

At the EU level, the average number increased by 14.3% during the decade 2012 - 2022 (from 490 to 560 passenger cars per 1,000 inhabitants). 

In Cyprus, the number increased by 19.9% during the same period, from 549 passenger cars per 1,000 inhabitants in 2012 to 658 in 2022.

In 2022, Italy had the highest number with 684 passenger cars per 1,000 inhabitants and it was followed by Luxembourg (678), Finland (661), and Cyprus (658).

Latvia had the lowest rate with 414 passenger cars per 1,000 inhabitants, followed by Romania (417), and Hungary (424).

Data shows that central and eastern EU countries recorded high growth rates between 2012 and 2022. Among the EU countries, Romania registered the highest growth of passenger cars per 1,000 inhabitants (+86.2%; +193), followed by Croatia (+44.8%; +152), Hungary (+40.9%; +123), Slovakia (+40.1%; +135) and Estonia (+39.7%; +181).

In another category, that of road tractors (to which semi-trailers are attached), Cyprus along with Malta was among of the countries with the lowest number per 1,000 inhabitants (2.3 and 2.2 respectively), which according to Eurostat can be explained by their island geography and the subsequent limitations for long distance road transport.

Among member states of the EU, the number of road tractors per 1,000 inhabitants were highest in the Baltic and some central and eastern EU members in 2022. The highest rates were registered in Lithuania (an average of 17.3 road tractors per 1,000 inhabitants), followed by Poland (12.9), Estonia (9.5), Hungary (9.3) and Romania (8.8).

At the other end of the spectrum were Czechia (0.3), Sweden (0.9), Austria and Malta (both 2.2), Cyprus and Greece (both 2.3).

In 2022, the average number of road tractors per 1,000 inhabitants in the EU was 4.8, which was an increase of 45.2% from 2012 to 2022 (from 3.3 to 4.8).

From 2012 to 2022, 3 countries more than doubled their road tractor motorisation rate: Romania (+127.4%), Croatia (+121.5%) and, with a comparatively high rate already in 2012, Lithuania (+101.8%). Further high growth rates were registered for Poland (91.2%) and Slovenia (82.9%).