Bulgaria had largest drop in new passenger car registrations in EU in 2020
New passenger car registrations in Bulgaria in 2020 were 36.8 per cent lower than in 2019, the largest decrease in the European Union, according to figures released on January 19 by the European Automobile Manufacturers Association, ACEA.
There were a total of 22 368 new passenger car registrations in Bulgaria in 2020, compared with 35 371 in 2019.
In December 2020, there 1707 new passenger car registrations in Bulgaria, compared with 2860 in December 2019, a decrease of 40.3 per cent.
ACEA said that in December 2020, demand for new passenger cars in the EU declined by 3.3 per cent to 1 031 070 units.
The four largest EU markets, however, recorded very different results, ACEA said.
Italy and France both suffered double‐digit losses, with car registrations down 14.9 per cent and 11.8 per cent, respectively, in December 2020.
By contrast, Germany posted a solid gain (9.9 per cent) and Spain’s performance remained stable, as the number of registrations was more or less the same as in December 2019.
Looking at full‐year 2020 results, the EU passenger car market contracted by 23.7 per cent to 9.9 million units as a direct result of the Covid‐19 pandemic, ACEA said.
Containment measures – including full‐ scale lockdowns and other restrictions throughout the year – had an unprecedented impact on car sales across the EU.
The association said that 2020 saw the biggest yearly drop in car demand since records began, with new‐car registrations falling by three million units compared to 2019.
All 27 EU markets recorded double‐digit declines throughout 2020.
Among the region’s biggest car markets, Spain posted the sharpest drop (‐32.3 per cent), followed closely by Italy (‐27.9 per cent) and France (‐25.5 per cent), while full‐year losses were significant but less pronounced in Germany (‐19.1 per cent).
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