Passenger car registrations: -6.8% over five months; -5.9% in May

In May, demand for new passenger cars declined by 5.9% in the EU*, reaching 1,042,742 units. In absolute figures, this is the lowest level recorded for a month of May since 1993 when new registrations stood below one million.

Five months into the year, a total of 5,070,840 new cars were registered in the region, or 6.8% less than in the first five months of 2012.

In May, most major markets faced a downturn ranging from -2.6% in Spain to -8.0% in Italy, -9.9% in Germany and -10.4% in France. The UK was the only country to post growth (+11.0%). Overall, the EU* registered 1,042,742 new cars, or 5.9% less than in the same period last year.

From January to May, Spain and Germany saw their market shrink by 5.8% and 8.8% respectively, while Italy (-11.3%) and France (-11.9%) recorded a double-digit decline. The UK continued its positive trend, expanding by 9.3%. In total, the 5,070,840 new cars registered over five months represented a 6.8% decrease in demand compared to the same period last year.