Vehicle sales: United Kingdom 2005-2021

In 2021, more than two million motor vehicles were sold in the United Kingdom, down from its peak at around 3.1 million units in 2016. This figure represents an increase of four percent year-on-year.

Sales slump amid coronavirus crisis

The UK had already lost its position as the second-largest car market in Europe to France in 2019. In 2020, the United Kingdom was hit by the coronavirus pandemic. Amid the pandemic, both sales and production levels fell to record levels.

Could a Brexit crisis be next?

The Brexit agreement sealed the UK's withdrawal from the European market in January 2020. There have been several pandemic-related supply-chain disruptions in the auto industry worldwide in 2020 and 2021. Some experts warn about more paperwork and slower supply chains overall in the wake of the Brexit referendum. Additionally, the UK has no time to lose to source electric vehicle batteries locally for manufacturing sites. All of this could mean that the UK motor vehicle industry might continue to suffer under component shortages for the next couple of years. The motor industry contributed some 15 billion British pounds to the UK economy in 2020.