Yearly number of cars produced in the United Kingdom (UK), 2003-2018

The United Kingdom produced roughly 1.52 million passenger cars in 2018. This marked the second consecutive year when figures had declined, following a peak of 1.72 million units reported in 2016. The most noticeable slump was seen in 2009, when production decreased by nearly a third compared to the previous year.
The UK was once the largest exporter of cars and its long-standing brands still enjoy success worldwide. However, the country’s automotive industry has been struggling following the Brexit referendum.

Global production

In 2018, some 70.47 million automobiles were made worldwide. This translated into a decline of 1.2 percent compared to the previous year, when figures peaked at 72.66 million vehicles. Production of commercial vehicles was nearly 30 percent the size of passenger car manufacturing.

Leading markets

The United Kingdom ranked twelfth in a list of leading car producers worldwide, behind Russia and ahead of Czechia. Whilst China was the world’s leading manufacturer of such motor vehicles, with an astonishing 23.71 million units.