Car Sales Around The World In 2009: Mostly Down

by Bertel Schmitt

Updated: June 24th, 2010 Published: January 6th, 2010

car sales around the world in 2009 mostly down

Here are some full year 2009 new car sales data as they have become available. Along with the source. Caution: Data as reliable as the source.

U.S.A.: down 21.2 percent – 10.4 million units

China: up 45 percent – 13.6 million units

Japan: down 9.3 percent – 4.6 million units

Australia: down 7.4 per cent– 937,328 units

Canada: down 10.7 percent – 1.46 million units i

India: up 18.7 percent– 1.43 million units

Brazil: up 11.35 percent – 3.14 million units

Turkey: up 12.77 percent – 557,126 units

Taiwan: up 28.3 percent – 294,423 units

Philippines: up 6.4 percent – 132,444 units

Russia: down 49 percent – 1,465,917 units

Austria: up 8.8 percent – 319,403 units

Belgium: down 11.1 percent – 476,194 units

Denmark: down 25.3 percent – 112,271 units

Finland: down 35.2 percent – 90,574 units

France: up 10.7 percent – 2,268,671 units

Germany: up 23.2 percent – 3,807,175 units

Greece: down 17.5 percent – 220,548 units

Ireland: down 62.1 percent – 57,460 units

Italy: down 0.2 percent – 2,158,010 units

Luxembourg: down 9.7 percent – 47,265 units

Netherlands: down 22.5 percent – 387,679 units

Portugal: down 24.6 percent -160,996 units

Spain: down 17.9 percent – 952,772 units

Sweden: down 16.0 percent – 213,408 units

United Kingdom: down 6.4 percent – 1,994,999 units

Iceland: down 77.6 percent – 2,020 units

Norway: down 10.8 percent – 98,675 units

Switzerland: down 8.2 percent – 264,798 units

Bulgaria: down 49.3 percent – 22,869 units

Czech Republic: up 12.5 percent – 161,659 units

Estonia: down 66.2 percent – 8,234 units

Hungary: down 50.4 percent – 78,590 units

Latvia: down 80.5 percent – 3,745 units

Lithuania: down 67.4 percent – 7,003 units

Poland: up 0.1 percent – 320,119 units

Romania: down 59.4 percent – 115,979 units

Slovakia: up 6.7 percent – 74,717 units

Slovenia: down 18.7 percent – 55,712 units

European Union (EU15): up 0.9 percent – 13,267,425 units

EFTA: down 10.5 percent – 365,493 units

EU15+EFTA: up 0.5 percent – 13,632,918 units

EU (New Members): down 26.6 percent – 848,627 units

European Union: down 1.3 percent – 14,116,052 units

Total Europe (EU+EFTA): down 1.6 percent – 14,481,545 units

Speaking of unreliable sources: German motormouth Professor Ferdinand Dudenhöffer, Germany’s most quoted “expert” when it comes to cars, also gained the title “most unreliable sales data source.” In his analysis of worldwide car sales, as quoted by Das Autohaus, he put 2009 U.S. sales at 12.5m (correct number 10.4m.) He prognosticated Chinese sales to be 8.2m (correct number 13.6m.) At the same time – wonder of arithmetic- he correctly presaged that China would outsell the US in 2009. Readers of the magazine demanded his ouster.

#2009AutoSales #BertelSchmitt #Worldwide

Bertel Schmitt

Bertel Schmitt comes back to journalism after taking a 35 year break in advertising and marketing. He ran and owned advertising agencies in Duesseldorf, Germany, and New York City. Volkswagen A.G. was Bertel's most important corporate account. Schmitt's advertising and marketing career touched many corners of the industry with a special focus on automotive products and services. Since 2004, he lives in Japan and China with his wife <a href="http://www.tomokoandbertel.com"> Tomoko </a>. Bertel Schmitt is a founding board member of the <a href="http://www.offshoresuperseries.com"> Offshore Super Series </a>, an American offshore powerboat racing organization. He is co-owner of the racing team Typhoon.

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2 of 9 comments

Bertel Schmitt on Jan 06, 2010

It sounds like the Brazilian numbers were incorrectly reflected by Reuters. The WSJ has them at 11.35 percent, which jibes with robstar's comments. Number and source corrected.

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FromBrazil on Jan 15, 2010

So, not counting South Korea, we are the world's 4th largest maerket. Passed Germany. Looked in 2008 that it couldn't be done. This is a really big WOW for this country.

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