In 2022, the European Union maintained an average of 0.56 passenger cars per inhabitant, unchanged from 2021. However, this average conceals significant regional disparities, with the highest car ownership rate found in Valle d’Aosta, Italy, and the lowest in Mayotte, France, according to transport statistics released by Eurostat.
Valle d’Aosta reported a staggering 2,339 cars per 1,000 inhabitants, driven largely by advantageous tax policies. This Italian region was followed by Provincia Autonoma di Trento (1,431 cars per 1,000 inhabitants) and Provincia Autonoma di Bolzano (935 cars per 1,000 inhabitants). Notably, six of the top ten regions with the highest motorization rates were in Italy, with others in Finland, Greece, the Netherlands, and Czechia.
Conversely, Mayotte recorded just 83 passenger cars per 1,000 inhabitants, the lowest in the EU. Greek Peloponnisos (203 cars per 1,000 inhabitants) and French Guyane (217 cars per 1,000 inhabitants) also had low motorization rates. Among the ten regions with the lowest rates, Greece and France each had two regions, with Romania, Germany, and Austria each contributing one. Remarkably, metropolitan areas such as Berlin (331 cars per 1,000 inhabitants) and Wien (366 cars per 1,000 inhabitants) also featured in this group.
In terms of electric vehicle (EV) adoption, regions in the Netherlands and Sweden led the way. Flevoland in the Netherlands topped the list with 12.8% of its passenger cars being electric, followed by Utrecht (6.6%) and Stockholm, Sweden (6.6%). Four regions in the Netherlands and four in Sweden dominated the top ten, joined by one region each in Luxembourg and Austria.
At the other end of the spectrum, regions in Greece showed minimal EV adoption, with seven regions reporting almost zero electric cars. Czechia, Poland, and Spain each had one region with similarly low EV penetration.
These findings highlight the diverse landscape of car ownership and the varying pace of transition to electric vehicles across the EU, reflecting both economic conditions and regional policies.
