Press Statement

Preasráiteas

08 June 2021

Go to release: Vehicles Licensed for the first time June 2021

The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has today (08 July 2021) published Vehicle Licensing figures for June 2021. These figures are based on the National Vehicle and Driver File compiled by the Department of Transport.

Today’s publication shows that the number of new cars licensed for the first time in June 2021 was 4,980 compared with 2,189 in June 2020 and 3,858 in June 2019.

Commenting on the data, Dr Nele van der Wielen, Statistician, said: “Today’s figures from the CSO show that figures for new cars licensed have risen above 2019 levels for the first time this year. The number of new cars licensed in June 2021 rose by 2,791 vehicles compared with June 2020 and by 1,122 vehicles compared with June 2019.

In the first half of 2021, a total of 59,823 new private cars were licensed, an increase of 22% compared with the same period last year. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic over the first half of 2021 is still visible as figures remain 23% lower over the first six months of the year in comparison with 2019.

Unlike new cars licensed, the number of used (imported) private cars licensed increased above 2020 levels but not 2019 levels. In the first half of 2021, the number of used (imported) private cars licensed increased by 50% compared with the same period in 2020 and is still 23% lower when compared to 2019.

Electric and hybrid cars continue to grow in popularity as 32% of all new cars licensed in the first half of 2021 are electric and hybrid cars, compared with 19% of new cars licensed in the first half of 2020.

We can also see that motor caravans (which includes campervans) have grown in popularity. The number of motor caravans licensed in the first half of 2021 was 79% greater than those licensed in the same period in 2019.”

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