The global automotive market witnessed a total sales volume of 85.12 million passenger and light commercial vehicles in 2024, reflecting a 2.6% growth. The top 10 countries from the previous year maintained their rankings with minor fluctuations.
| Rank | Country | Sales Volume (million units) | Growth Rate |
| 1 | China | 26.05 | +3.4% |
| 2 | USA | 15.94 | +3.6% |
| 3 | India | 4.27 | +3.9% |
| 4 | Japan | 4.25 | -7.1% |
| 5 | Germany | 2.81 | -0.9% |
| 6 | Brazil | 2.48 | +13.9% |
| 7 | UK | 2.3 | +3.1% |
| 8 | Canada | 1.83 | +7.6% |
| 9 | France | 1.72 | -3.2% |
| 10 | South Korea | 1.63 | -5.5% |
The top 10 countries with the highest vehicle sales in 2024.
1. China
China retained its position as the largest automotive market in 2024, with a total sales volume of 26.05 million units, reflecting a 3.4% growth. The Chinese market alone accounted for 30.6% of global new vehicle sales during the year.
Additionally, China led the world in new energy vehicle (NEV) sales, which include battery electric vehicles (BEV) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV). NEV sales reached 12.866 million units, a significant 35.5% increase. NEVs accounted for 40% of total sales in China, with BEVs making up 60% of NEV sales and PHEVs contributing the remaining 40%.
The best-selling brand in China for the year was BYD, with 3,524,482 units sold, achieving a remarkable 38.6% growth. The remaining top 5 brands included Volkswagen (2,072,259 units), Toyota (1,568,117 units), Geely (987,464 units), and Wuling (920,728 units).
2. USA
The USA secured the second spot in global automotive sales for 2024, with a total volume of 15.94 million units. While significantly lower than China, the USA still witnessed a healthy 3.6% growth compared to 2023, marking the highest sales in the past 5 years since 2019. The USA accounted for 18.7% of global automotive sales in 2024.
General Motors (GM) led the market with sales of 2.7 million units, reflecting a 4.3% increase. Toyota, Ford, Hyundai-Kia, and Honda followed closely behind in the rankings.
3. India
India maintained its position as the third-largest automotive market in the world for 2024, surpassing major markets such as Japan and Germany. India’s vehicle sales reached 4.27 million units, representing a 3.9% growth.
Suzuki continued to be the most popular brand in India, with Maruti Suzuki selling 1,790,877 units, achieving a 2.77% growth. This was also a record sales figure for the joint venture.
However, the best-selling model in the Indian market for 2024 was not a Suzuki, but the Tata Punch, with sales of 202,030 units. This marked the first time in 40 years that a non-Suzuki model topped the Indian market.
4. Japan
Japan secured the fourth position in global automotive sales for 2024, with a total volume of 4.25 million units, reflecting a significant 7.1% decline.
Japan’s vehicle sales trailed behind India in 2024.
Toyota maintained its dominance in the Japanese market, selling 1.2 million units, despite a 12.3% decrease. Honda (637,742 units), Suzuki (598,501 units), Nissan (398,488 units), and Daihatsu (235,227 units) followed in the rankings. Kei cars continued to be the most popular segment in the Land of the Rising Sun.
5. Germany
Germany, the largest automotive market in Europe, ranked fifth globally, with a total sales volume of 2.81 million units in 2024, a slight decrease of 0.9%.
The domestic brand Volkswagen led the German market, selling 536,888 units, a modest 3.4% increase. Mercedes-Benz (257,888 units), BMW (232,886 units), Skoda (205,593 units), and Audi (202,317 units) followed in the brand rankings.
6. Brazil
Similar to 2023, Brazil maintained its position as the sixth-largest automotive market globally, with a total sales volume of 2.48 million units, reflecting an impressive 13.9% growth. Brazil also retained its position as the largest market in Latin America.
Fiat led the Brazilian market, selling 521,199 units, a 9.6% increase. Volkswagen (401,285 units), Chevrolet (314,782 units), Hyundai (205,719 units), and Toyota (203,722 units) followed in the brand rankings.
7. UK
The UK ranked seventh globally in automotive sales, purchasing a total of 2.3 million new vehicles in 2024, a 3.1% increase.
Volkswagen also dominated the UK market, convincing 166,304 British customers in 2024, a 2.6% increase. BMW (125,265 units), Audi (122,431 units), Kia (112,252 units), and Ford (109,955 units) completed the top 5 brands.
Chinese brand MG also made its way into the top 10, selling 81,536 units, a slight 0.3% increase. Meanwhile, Toyota ranked seventh, with a 7.7% decrease in sales to 101,444 units.
8. Canada
Canada climbed up the rankings in 2024, purchasing 1.83 million vehicles, a notable 7.6% increase.
As expected, Ford was the most popular brand in Canada, selling 217,875 units, a 6.6% increase. Toyota (191,696 units), Chevrolet (139,117 units), Hyundai (121,605 units), and Honda (114,505 units) followed in the brand preferences.
9. France
France secured the ninth position among the top 10 countries, with French consumers purchasing 1.72 million vehicles, a slight 3.2% decrease.
The domestic brand Renault maintained its lead in the French market, selling 277,300 units, a minor 0.2% dip. Peugeot (232,712 units), Dacia (144,978 units), Toyota (127,519 units), and Volkswagen (119,360 units) completed the top 5 brands.
10. South Korea
In 2024, South Korea’s automotive market experienced a 5.5% decline, with a total sales volume of 1.63 million units, placing it in the tenth position.
As predicted, Hyundai led the South Korean market, selling 574,336 units, a 9.7% decrease. Its sister brand, Kia, followed closely behind, with a 3% decline in sales to 548,312 units. Together, these two brands held a substantial 69.2% market share in South Korea.
The remaining top-selling brands in South Korea for 2024 were Genesis (133,581 units), BMW (73,574 units), and Mercedes-Benz (66,400 units).
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