Germans are buying more and more cars, but driving them less. Experts still expect further growth for the fleet.
People in Germany own more and more cars. Because the number of new registrations is increasing faster than the population is growing, there were 580 cars per 1,000 inhabitants at the beginning of the year, as the Federal Statistical Office reports. That is two more cars than in 2023 and even 37 more vehicles than in 2014. However, the record of 583 cars per 1,000 citizens dates from 2022.
Curiously, the 49.1 million cars in Germany are now being driven less. According to the Federal Motor Transport Authority, around 591 billion kilometers were driven by cars in 2023. This was the fifth consecutive annual decline. In 2018 there were 39 billion kilometers more. On average, a German car traveled 12,320 kilometers last year, 150 fewer than a year ago and a full 1,791 kilometers less than in 2014.
Vehicles last longer
Despite all the swan songs, the car population in Germany has not yet reached its peak, says industry expert Ferdinand Dudenhöffer. Although growth has slowed, a comparison with the USA shows the potential. There would be around 800 cars for every 1,000 residents. There are also significantly more cars in European countries such as Poland or Italy than here. New technologies such as autonomous driving and electric drives also make cars fundamentally more comfortable and interesting for people.
The industry has also contributed to the steady growth of fleets because vehicles simply last longer than they did just a few decades ago. The cars registered in Germany are now on average 10.3 years old. Even in the 1980s, many cars had long since rusted through.
“New roads are important”
Expert Stefan Bratzel from the Center of Automotive Management in Bergisch Gladbach sees the increasing density of cars as a long-term trend that is far from over. The comparison with the USA also applies here: “People simply afford several cars when their wealth increases.” Unlike in Los Angeles, for example, in German metropolitan areas it is by no means always superficially rational to use the car for every journey.
Dudenhöffer also advocates a transport mix with strong local passenger transport in urban centers. But the car should not be neglected. “New roads are important, just as important as new tracks or train stations,” he says. The further you go into the area, the car becomes more and more important for people.
Difference between East and West
In fact, the Federal Office’s figures show clear regional differences. In the city states of Berlin (329), Hamburg (426) and Bremen (435) there are relatively few cars per 1,000 inhabitants. The local transport networks are well developed there, bicycle traffic is increasing and not everyone needs or wants to own their own car. Berlin is the only federal state in which car density has declined since 2014.
A significantly larger fleet is on the move in the regional countries. With 655 cars per 1,000 inhabitants, Saarland is at the top of Germany, ahead of Rhineland-Palatinate (630) and Bavaria (623). With 534 cars, Saxony has the lowest value of any land area. All eastern German states are below the federal average, all western German states are above it.
Annual balance sheet 2024 of the Federal Motor Transport Authority
Source: Stern
