Cyprus ranks fourth in EU for cars per capita, exceeding average

In 2022, Cyprus ranked as the country with the fourth-highest number of passenger cars per population, boasting 658 cars per 1000 inhabitants, significantly surpassing the EU average of 560 vehicles per 1000 inhabitants, according to Eurostat, the statistical service of the European Union.

Over the decade from 2012 to 2022, the EU witnessed a 14.3% increase in the average number of passenger cars (from 490 to 560 per 1000 inhabitants). During the same period, Cyprus experienced a more substantial growth of 19.9%, rising from 549 to 658 passenger cars per 1000 inhabitants.

Italy led the pack in 2022 with the highest number of passenger cars (684 per 1000 inhabitants), followed by Luxembourg (678), Finland (661), and Cyprus (658). In contrast, Latvia reported the lowest rate at 414 cars per 1000 inhabitants, followed by Romania (417) and Hungary (424).

Notably, central and eastern EU countries demonstrated high growth rates between 2012 and 2022. Romania led the way with the highest growth in passenger cars per 1000 inhabitants (+86.2%, reaching 193), followed by Croatia (+44.8%, reaching 152), Hungary (+40.9%, reaching 123), Slovakia (+40.1%, reaching 135), and Estonia (+39.7%, reaching 181).

In the category of road tractors, which includes semi-trailers, Cyprus, along with Malta, had among the lowest numbers per 1000 inhabitants (2.3 and 2.2, respectively). Eurostat attributes this to the island's geography and subsequent limitations for long-distance road transport.

In 2022, the highest rates of road tractors per 1000 inhabitants in the EU were recorded in Lithuania (17.3), Poland (12.9), Estonia (9.5), Hungary (9.3), and Romania (8.8). Conversely, the lowest rates were observed in Czechia (0.3), Sweden (0.9), Austria and Malta (both 2.2), and Cyprus and Greece (both 2.3).

The EU's average number of road tractors per 1000 inhabitants was 4.8 in 2022, marking a 45.2% increase from 2012 to 2022 (from 3.3 to 4.8). Romania, Croatia, and Lithuania more than doubled their road tractor motorization rate during this period, while notable decreases were observed in Czechia (-61.9%), Luxembourg (-15.4%), and Malta (-13.0%).

[Source: CNA]