Fact #962: January 30, 2017 Vehicles per Capita: Other Regions/Countries Compared to the United States

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The graphs below show the number of motor vehicles per thousand people for various countries and regions. The annual data for the United States from 1900 to 2014 are displayed in the solid line. The points labeled on that line show data for other countries/regions around the world in 2004 and 2014 and how their vehicles per capita compare to the United States. For instance, the graph shows that in 2004, Eastern Europe’s vehicles per thousand people was about where the United States was in 1936, but by 2014 it was about where the United States was in 1952. The lower part of the graph (1900-1935) is shown enlarged on the second graph.

Vehicles per Thousand People: U.S. (Over Time) and Other Countries (in 2004 and 2014)

Vehicles per Thousand People: U.S. (Over Time) and Other Countries from 1900 to 1935

Fact #962 Dataset

Supporting Information

Vehicles per Thousand People in Other Countries, 2004 and 2014
Country/Region	Vehicles per 1,000 people
Country/Region	2004	2014
Africa	23.1	35.1
Asia, Far East	46.6	90.4
Asia, Middle East	90.7	134.8
Brazil	119.7	206.0
Canada	580.8	655.9
Central & South America	115.1	186.5
China	21.4	104.9
Europe, East	222.5	346.8
Europe, West	569.5	590.9
India	10.7	30.8
Indonesia	28.8	82.3
Pacific	530.6	584.2
United States	829.9	816.4

Note: Though some countries are listed separately in this table, those countries are also included in the regional total. For instance, China is listed separately, but is also included in the Asia, Far East region.

Vehicles per Thousand People in the United States, 1900–2014
Year	U.S. vehicles per 1,000 people	Year	U.S. vehicles per 1,000 people	Year	U.S. vehicles per 1,000 people	Year	U.S. vehicles per 1,000 people	Year	U.S. vehicles per 1,000 people
1900	0.11	1923	134.90	1946	243.11	1969	533.37	1992	757.96
1901	0.19	1924	154.35	1947	262.56	1970	545.35	1993	761.94
1902	0.29	1925	173.26	1948	280.20	1971	562.45	1994	766.94
1903	0.41	1926	189.10	1949	299.56	1972	585.60	1995	770.99
1904	0.67	1927	195.77	1950	323.71	1973	615.19	1996	781.16
1905	0.94	1928	204.87	1951	337.14	1974	632.32	1997	776.02
1906	1.27	1929	219.31	1952	340.57	1975	640.07	1998	781.20
1907	1.65	1930	217.34	1953	353.67	1976	659.47	1999	790.07
1908	2.24	1931	210.37	1954	361.40	1977	669.03	2000	800.32
1909	3.45	1932	195.38	1955	379.77	1978	690.17	2001	825.81
1910	5.07	1933	192.38	1956	387.58	1979	700.42	2002	815.73
1911	6.81	1934	199.90	1957	392.11	1980	710.71	2003	816.11
1912	9.90	1935	208.61	1958	392.17	1981	715.22	2004	829.94
1913	12.94	1936	222.62	1959	402.83	1982	713.95	2005	837.25
1914	17.79	1937	233.33	1960	410.37	1983	724.30	2006	840.69
1915	24.77	1938	229.65	1961	415.11	1984	728.20	2007	844.54
1916	35.48	1939	236.93	1962	426.06	1985	744.50	2008	841.57
1917	49.57	1940	245.63	1963	438.75	1986	753.33	2009	828.67
1918	59.69	1941	261.57	1964	451.57	1987	758.58	2010	808.38
1919	72.50	1942	244.73	1965	466.90	1988	772.92	2011	812.32
1920	86.78	1943	225.89	1966	489.34	1989	776.99	2012	807.50
1921	96.68	1944	220.23	1967	500.66	1990	773.40	2013	808.64
1922	111.53	1945	221.80	1968	516.49	1991	760.19	2014	816.38

Source (both tables): Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Transportation Energy Data Book: Edition 35, ORNL-6990, Oak Ridge, TN, September 2016, Tables 3.5 and 3.6.

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