In this article, we will take a look at the 30 countries with lowest car ownership rates in the world.
Car Ownership in the US: At a Glance
On March 28, Forbes reported that 278.87 million personal and commercial vehicles were registered in the United States in 2022. Trucks remained the most popular choice with almost 170.24 million registered personal and commercial trucks in 2022 alone. On the other hand, 98.57 million cars were registered, the second most popular choice of vehicle in the United States. Almost 92% of households across the nation owned one vehicle. Idaho and Wyoming had an ownership rate of 96.2% each, the highest recorded percentage in the US. 64% of households in the District of Columbia had at least one vehicle, the lowest percentage recorded in the United States in 2022.
On January 22, CNBC reported that China exported 5 million vehicles in 2023 becoming the country with the highest car exports in the world. Primary supply comes from state-owned companies like SAIC and Dongfeng. The United States, on the other hand, is the fourth largest exporter of cars. Leaders in the auto industry are wary of Chinese automakers, especially due to their profitable and rapid introduction of new models. BYD Auto, a leading automotive company in China, toppled Tesla’s position to become the largest seller of electric vehicles (EVs) in 2023. The company received almost $4.3 billion from the Chinese government between 2015 and 2020. Due to this, its EVs are priced considerably low, for instance, the BYD Seagull starts at almost $11,400.
The US continues to impose tariffs on Chinese imports to curb competition from Chinese automakers. On May 14, Reuters reported that Biden announced quadrupling EV duties to over 100% from 25% and increasing duties on semiconductors to 50%. These new policies will impact imported Chinese goods worth $18 billion including aluminum, semiconductors, electric vehicles, minerals, solar cells, and cranes. In 2023, the United States imported commodities worth $427 billion from China and only exported $148 billion worth of goods to the country. You can also take a look at the best electric cars of 2024.
How Are Automakers in the US Combating Competition from China
Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) and General Motors Company (NYSE:GM) are among the leading automotive companies in the United States. You can also take a look at the best fuel-efficient cars under $30k.
Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) is a multinational automobile maker headquartered in Michigan, United States. The company sells SUVs, trucks, vans, electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles, and cars with a strong emphasis on expanding its EV line. On April 4, Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) announced that by 2030, the company expects to launch hybrid powertrains across its Ford Blue lineup in North America. The company also aims to transform its Oakville Assembly Plant, from a gas vehicle assembly to an EV manufacturing unit. Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) intends to launch three-row electric vehicles at the assembly by 2027. To back its position in the EV market, in the first quarter of 2024, the company witnessed an 86% rise in electric vehicle sales. Hybrid sales, on the other hand, grew by 42% compared to 12 months ago.
General Motors Company (NYSE:GM) is another prominent automotive player in the United States and a major exporter to China, delivering 441,000 vehicles in the first quarter of 2024 and 2.1 million vehicles in 2023. The company owns some of the leading automotive brands including Chevrolet, GMC, Cadillac, OnStar, and ACDelco. Its electric vehicle segment is constantly expanding. The company’s new Chevy Silverado EV RST is fully electric with an estimated range of 400 miles, higher than most of its competitors, and accelerates from 0 to 60 miles per hour in under 4.5 seconds. General Motors Company’s (NYSE:GM) Silverado EV 4WT, an extension of the RST, offers an estimated 450 miles of range and a maximum towing capability of 10,000 lbs.
Now that we have studied the car ownership industry in the US, let’s discuss the 30 countries with the lowest car ownership rates in the world. You can also read our piece on the cheap cars that will make you look rich.
An auto warehouse filled with newly acquired used cars.
Our Methodology
In order to compile a list of the countries with the lowest car ownership rates in the world, we sourced our data from the Insider Monkey Global Vehicle Motorization Index. We commenced our research by consulting The International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers (OICA) to acquire 2015 data for the total number of vehicles in 140 countries. We then acquired the 2015 country-wise population from the World Bank to tabulate the cars per capita and GDP per capita from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to assess the correlation between GDP per capita and cars per capita for each country. We used the relationship to estimate the number of cars in 2015 for all the missing countries. We then acquired the 2020 data for total registered cars from OICA for 62 countries and calculated a global average growth rate from 2015 to 2020. Assuming constant growth rates from 2015 to 2024, we calculated the expected number of cars in 2024. To view our index methodology which highlights all our sources and calculations, you can take a look at the Insider Monkey Global Vehicle Motorization Index.
The countries are sorted in descending order of their vehicle motorization rates i.e. cars per 1,000 inhabitants.
30 Countries with Lowest Car Ownership Rates in the World
30. Afghanistan
Cars per Capita (2024): 0.0532
Cars per 1,000 People (2024): 53
Total Number of Registered Cars (2024): 2.31 Million
Afghanistan ranks 30th on our list of countries with the lowest car ownership rate in the world. As per our estimations, Afghanistan is home to 2.31 million registered cars.
29. Philippines
Cars per Capita (2024): 0.0471
Cars per 1,000 People (2024): 47
Total Number of Registered Cars (2024): 5.6 Million
With 47 cars per 1,000 inhabitants, the Philippines ranks as one of the countries with the lowest car ownership rates in the world. The country has 0.0471 cars per capita.
28. Yemen
Cars per Capita (2024): 0.0417
Cars per 1,000 People (2024): 42
Total Number of Registered Cars (2024): 1.47 Million
Yemen ranks 28th on our list of countries with the lowest car ownership rates in the world. It has 1.46 million total cars as per our estimates.
27. Ghana
Cars per Capita (2024): 0.0376
Cars per 1,000 People (2024): 38
Total Number of Registered Cars (2024): 1.31 Million
Ghana is one of the countries with the lowest car ownership rates in the world, with 38 cars per 1,000 inhabitants in 2024. Ghana has 1.31 million total cars as per our estimations.
26. Kenya
Cars per Capita (2024): 0.0361
Cars per 1,000 People (2024): 36
Total Number of Registered Cars (2024): 2.03 Million
Kenya ranks 26th on our list of countries with the lowest car ownership rates in the world. Kenya has 36 cars per 1,000 inhabitants and 2.03 million total cars.
25. Angola
Cars per Capita (2024): 0.0342
Cars per 1,000 People (2024): 34
Total Number of Registered Cars (2024): 1.29 Million
With 34 cars per 1,000 inhabitants, Angola ranks as one of the countries with the lowest car ownership rate in the world. The country has 1.29 million total cars as per our estimates.
24. Vietnam
Cars per Capita (2024): 0.032
Cars per 1,000 People (2024): 32
Total Number of Registered Cars (2024): 3.19 Million
According to our estimates, Vietnam is home to 3.19 million total registered cars, contributing to its ranking on our list of the countries with the lowest car ownership rates in the world.
23. Togo
Cars per Capita (2024): 0.0314
Cars per 1,000 People (2024): 31
Total Number of Registered Cars (2024): 290,718
Togo ranks 23rd on our list of countries with the lowest car ownership rates in the world. The country has more than 290,000 total cars as per our estimates.
22. Madagascar
Cars per Capita (2024): 0.0312
Cars per 1,000 People (2024): 31
Total Number of Registered Cars (2024): 969,060
With 31 cars per 1,000 inhabitants, Madagascar ranks as one of the countries with the lowest car ownership rates in the world. It has 0.0312 cars per capita.
21. India
Cars per Capita (2024): 0.0294
Cars per 1,000 People (2024): 29
Total Number of Registered Cars (2024): 42.37 Million
With 29 cars per 1,000 inhabitants, India ranks as one of the countries with the lowest car ownership rates in the world. According to our estimates, India has over 42 million total cars.
20. Democratic Republic of the Congo
Cars per Capita (2024): 0.0264
Cars per 1,000 People (2024): 26
Total Number of Registered Cars (2024): 2.79 Million
According to our estimates, the Democratic Republic of the Congo has more than 2.7 million total registered cars, contributing to its ranking as one of the countries with the lowest car ownership rates in the world.
19. Benin
Cars per Capita (2024): 0.0263
Cars per 1,000 People (2024): 26
Total Number of Registered Cars (2024): 370,005
Benin ranks 19th on our list of countries with the lowest car ownership rates in the world. According to our estimates, Benin has more than 370,000 total registered cars.
18. Zambia
Cars per Capita (2024): 0.0257
Cars per 1,000 People (2024): 26
Total Number of Registered Cars (2024): 543,261
With 26 cars per 1,000 inhabitants, Zambia ranks as one of the countries with the lowest car ownership rates in the world. It has more than 543,000 total cars as per our estimates.
17. Nigeria
Cars per Capita (2024): 0.024
Cars per 1,000 People (2024): 24
Total Number of Registered Cars (2024): 5.51 Million
Nigeria is one of the countries with the lowest car ownership rates in the world. Nigeria has 24 cars per 1,000 inhabitants and more than 5.5 million total cars.
16. Honduras
Cars per Capita (2024): 0.0218
Cars per 1,000 People (2024): 22
Total Number of Registered Cars (2024): 234,924
According to our estimates, Honduras has 22 cars per 1,000 inhabitants, contributing to its ranking as one of the countries with the lowest car ownership rates in the world.
15. Pakistan
Cars per Capita (2024): 0.0193
Cars per 1,000 People (2024): 19
Total Number of Registered Cars (2024): 4.73 Million
Pakistan ranks 15th on our list of countries with the lowest car ownership rates in the world. Pakistan has more than 4.7 million total cars as per our estimates.
14. Burkina Faso
Cars per Capita (2024): 0.0183
Cars per 1,000 People (2024): 18
Total Number of Registered Cars (2024): 436,077
Burkina Faso ranks 14th on our list of the countries with the lowest car ownership rates in the world. According to our estimates, Burkina Faso has more than 436,000 cars as of 2024.
13. Cameroon
Cars per Capita (2024): 0.0173
Cars per 1,000 People (2024): 17
Total Number of Registered Cars (2024): 509,491
With more than 509,000 total cars in 2024, Cameroon ranks as one of the countries with the lowest car ownership rate in the world. It has 0.0173 cars per capita according to our estimates.
12. Mozambique
Cars per Capita (2024): 0.0168
Cars per 1,000 People (2024): 17
Total Number of Registered Cars (2024): 587,309
Mozambique is one of the countries with the lowest car ownership rate in the world. According to our estimates, Mozambique has more than 587,000 cars as of 2024.
11. Liberia
Cars per Capita (2024): 0.0167
Cars per 1,000 People (2024): 17
Total Number of Registered Cars (2024): 92,501
Liberia ranks 11th on our list of countries with the lowest car ownership rates in the world. Liberia has 0.0167 cars per capita and more than 92,000 total cars.
10. Uganda
Cars per Capita (2024): 0.0144
Cars per 1,000 People (2024): 14
Total Number of Registered Cars (2024): 719,453
According to our estimates, Uganda has 14 cars per 1,000 inhabitants, contributing to its ranking as one of the countries with the lowest car ownership rates in the world.
9. Mali
Cars per Capita (2024): 0.0124
Cars per 1,000 People (2024): 12
Total Number of Registered Cars (2024): 298,059
Mali ranks 9th on our list of countries with the lowest car ownership rates in the world. The country has 12 cars per 1,000 inhabitants and almost 299,000 total cars.
8. Mauritania
Cars per Capita (2024): 0.0121
Cars per 1,000 People (2024): 12
Total Number of Registered Cars (2024): 60,199
Mauritania is one of the countries with the lowest car ownership rate in the world. The country is home to 12 cars for every 1,000 inhabitants.
7. Haiti
Cars per Capita (2024): 0.0099
Cars per 1,000 People (2024): 10
Total Number of Registered Cars (2024): 117,462
Our estimates suggest that Haiti has 10 cars per 1,000 inhabitants as of 2024, contributing to its ranking on our list as one of the countries with the lowest car ownership rates in the world.
6. Malawi
Cars per Capita (2024): 0.0095
Cars per 1,000 People (2024): 10
Total Number of Registered Cars (2024): 204,090
Malawi ranks sixth on our list of the countries with the lowest car ownership rates in the world. Malawi has 10 cars per 1,000 inhabitants as of 2024.
5. United Republic of Tanzania
Cars per Capita (2024): 0.008
Cars per 1,000 People (2024): 8
Total Number of Registered Cars (2024): 557,944
The United Republic of Tanzania ranks fifth on our list of the countries with the lowest car ownership rates in the world. It has 8 cars per 1,000 inhabitants and over 557,000 total number of registered cars.
A fleet of cars parked at a car rental company’s headquarters, symbolizing the company’s commitment to servicing its customers.
4. Burundi
Cars per Capita (2024): 0.0068
Cars per 1,000 People (2024): 7
Total Number of Registered Cars (2024): 92,501
With 7 cars per 1,000 people, Burundi ranks as one of the countries with the lowest car ownership rates in the world. As per our estimates, the country has more than 92,000 cars.