In April 2016, the EU passenger car market posted strong results again, marking the 32nd consecutive month of growth. Registrations during the month grew by 9.1% compared to April 2015, reaching 1,273,733 units. This is the highest result in volume terms since April 2008, just before the economic crisis hit the automotive industry. Among the major markets, Spain (+21.2%) and Italy (+11.5%) recorded the strongest performances with double-digit percentage gains, followed by Germany (+8.4%), France (+7.1%) and the UK (+2.0%).
From January to April 2016, new passenger car registrations increased by 8.5%, totalling more than 5 million units (5,094,026). All major markets posted growth, contributing to the overall upturn of the EU market. The Italian (+18.6%) and Spanish (+10.3%) passenger car markets saw double-digit growth over the period, followed by France (+7.9%) and Germany (+5.6%). The UK market also grew (+4.4%) during the first four months of 2016, although at more modest rate.
* Data for Malta not available
