Stability of the global auto production with close to 96 million vehicles produced in 2018
- A slight decline by 1% of the global auto production compared to 2017, which was the highest level ever
- Results show marked differences depending on the region, with a clear growth in Africa
After 8 years of continuous growth and a 2017 record level of 97,4 million units, global auto production in 2018 very slightly declines to close to 96 million vehicles produced (cars and trucks)
This stability however is not homogenous throughout the globe:
In Europe, although the decline to 21,3 million units is rather small compared to the 2017 level (22,2 million units) – i.e. more than 22% of the global production, the various countries show contrasting results. Germany, the United Kingdom and Italy declined by -9 % to -7%. Spain declined slightly by 1%. France on the other hand remains a rather dynamic production zone with a growth of 2%, just like Eastern Europe where production grew by 5% to 4,2 million units. Russia experienced a more remarkable growth than in 2017, by +14%.
In America, the 2018 production of 20,8 million units represents a 21% share of the global production, comparable to the European share. In the United States and in Mexico, production remains high thanks namely to light duty trucks (+4%). Canada however declined for the second year in a row. In South America, Brazil confirmed its recovery with a 5% growth, while the crisis in Argentina negatively impacted production (-1%).
Asia-Oceania, which still represents more than half of the global production, declines by about 2% to 52,5 million units. This is mainly due to the decline of the largest global producer, China, which saw its production reduced by 4% to 27,8 million, close to the 2016 figure. Other countries in that region, such as Japan or South Korea, which benefit from a mature auto industry, experienced a certain stability. Emerging countries such as India or Thailand remain dynamic, with an auto production growth of +8% and +9% respectively. The production in India surpassed for the first time the 5 million level.
The African continent shows a marked growth of 12%, to 1,8 million in 2018, thanks to the good results in Morocco (+18%), Algeria (+17%), and South Africa (+4%).
About OICA
The global association OICA was founded in 2019. It groups 38 professional federations spread all over the world, including the main auto producing countries in Europe, in America, and in Asia. OICA is the sole non-governmental organisation of car and truck producers accredited to the United Nations and represents their technical interests towards international institutions and organisations. OICA coordinates the global harmonisation of the automobile regulations. The OICA activities therefore contribute to the worldwide deployment of technologies and know-how in the interest of all countries. The OICA members are actively engaged in improving road safety and environmental protection and in globally harmonising technical regulations and standards. OICA also collects and publishes international statistics and coordinates the yearly calendar of accredited motor shows globally.
For detailed data, please visit www.oica.net
Contact OICA : Secretary General – Yves van der Straaten, + 33 (0)1 43 59 00 13, yvanderstraaten@oica.net
Contact press CCFA – Comité des Constructeurs Français d’Automobiles – www.ccfa.fr – Laure de Servigny, +33 6 70 18 88 75, l.deservigny@ccfa.fr