EU car registrations down by 21 percent in first two months of 2021

From January to February 2021, total registrations of new cars in the European Union were 21.7 percent lower than during the same period in 2020, according to data from ACEA.

So far this year, demand fell in each of the major markets. Spain was the hardest hit, with sales almost halved (-44.6 percent) compared to last year, followed by Germany (-25.1 percent), France (-14.2 percent) and Italy (-13.1 percent).

In February 2021, new passenger car registrations in the European Union dropped by 19.3 percent, as COVID containment measures and uncertainty continue to weigh heavily on demand. With 771,486 units registered across the EU region, this marked the lowest February total on record since 2013. All four major EU markets recorded losses last month. Italy posted the smallest drop (-12.3 percent), while the other markets faced stronger declines: Germany (-19.0 percent), France (-20.9 percent) and Spain (-38.4 percent).