Kiwis own the most cars per capita in the world, new data shows

It’s no secret that Kiwis love their cars, but the proof is now in the pudding, with new data from the International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers (OICA) showing we own the highest number of cars per capita in the world.

As reported by Visual Capitalist, there are approximately 869 vehicles in use per 1000 people in New Zealand as of 2020, far more than countries with higher populations like Canada, France, and the United Kingdom. The United States came in at a close second to us with 860 vehicles in use per 1000 people, followed by Poland with 761, Italy with 756, and Australia with 737.

What gives the land of the long white cloud an edge over other nations is our unshakable appetite for used Japanese imports, mainly because we are one of the few right-hand drive countries that will happily accept them.

Approximately 115,753 used cars were imported into the country in 2023, with 113,462 of them coming from Japan alone, according to New Zealand Customs data. However, that figure may shrink if new and used imports are required to meet stricter Euro 6 emissions standards as proposed by the Ministry of Transport last year.

When it comes to the top markets for electric vehicles, China took the top spot with an estimated 11 million units in use as of 2022. This was expected though, especially when you consider the nation is home to around 70 per cent of the globe’s rare earth metals according to Visual Capitalist, making it the current leader in battery and EV production.

In second place for the world’s most popular EV markets was the US with 2.1 million units on the road as of 2022, followed by Germany with 1 million.