Demand for new cars in the EU weakened again in May, marking the tenth consecutive month of decline, reflecting supply chain issues and reduced purchasing power of citizens due to inflation. In the EU, 791,546 new cars were registered in May, which is 11.2 percent less than in the same month last year, according to a report published on Thursday by the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA).
Although the decline is milder than in April when demand fell by 20.6 percent, it marks the continuation of a downward trend for the tenth month in a row. All four major markets recorded double-digit declines in demand, with the largest being in Italy, where it decreased by 15.1 percent.
Spain follows with a 10.9 percent decline, while Germany and France recorded 10.2 and 10.1 percent fewer registered new cars than in May of last year, respectively.
In Croatia, according to ACEA data, 4,055 new cars were registered in May, which is 9.2 percent less than in the same month last year. In April, their number increased by 2.7 percent.
Sharp Decline in 2022
Data for the period from January to May also show a double-digit decline in demand for new cars in the EU, by 13.5 percent, with 3.72 million new vehicles registered.
Demand in Italy decreased by almost a quarter, while in France it fell by a sixth, according to ACEA’s report. The mildest decline was recorded in Germany, at 9.3 percent.
In Croatia, from January to May, according to ACEA, 17,948 new cars were registered, which is 6.0 percent less than in the same period last year.
