Demand for Cars in the EU Soared in March; Croatia Significantly Above Average

Car sales in the EU rose in March at the strongest rate in nearly two years, reflecting manufacturers’ recovery from semiconductor supply issues, with growth in Croatia being twice the average, according to a report by the ACEA association.

In March, over one million new cars were registered in 26 EU countries, excluding Malta, which is 28.8 percent higher than in the same month last year, the manufacturers’ association found. The growth rate is the highest since May 2021.

In February, sales increased by 11.5 percent.

This year’s results reveal last year’s supply issues faced by manufacturers, the association explained in last month’s report.

In March, all leading European markets recorded double-digit growth, with the highest sales increases in Spain and Italy, at 66.1 and 40.7 percent, respectively.

The number of registered new cars in France also jumped, increasing by 24.2 percent compared to March last year. Germany lagged behind the ‘big’ group, with a growth rate of 16.6 percent.

In Croatia, according to ACEA data, 6,157 new cars were registered in March, which is 61.5 percent more than in the same month last year. In February, their number increased by 26.2 percent.

Double-Digit Quarter

In the first three months of this year, the EU passenger car market grew by 17.9 percent compared to the same period last year, with nearly 2.7 million vehicles registered, ACEA determined.

Among the leading markets, sales in Spain increased the most from January to March, by 44.5 percent.

Double-digit growth was recorded in Italy and France, at 26.2 and 15.2 percent, respectively. The most modest growth among the ‘big’ markets was in Germany, with only a 6.5 percent increase.

In Croatia, in the first three months of this year, according to ACEA data, 13,159 new cars were registered, which is 36.6 percent more than in the same period last year.