In March, vehicle registrations in Portugal fell by 22.37% with respect to March of 2002. In total, 23,768 cars were registered and 289,066 new cars were sold in the last twelve months, 19.45% less than the year before.
The breakdown of car sales figures for the month of March is:
- Commercial vehicles sold: 6,047, 15.32% less than in March of 2002.
- Passenger cars regitrations: 17,721, which represents a figure of 24.52% less than in March of 2002.
Portugal is the 15th-placed country in ranking of 23 countries based on number of vehicle registrations.
A very useful variable for estimating the level of economic wealth enjoyed by Portuguese residents, when compared to the other countries in the ranking, is the number of vehicles sold or registered per thousand residents in the last year. With annual sales of 27.68 cars per 1,000 residents, 2.28 of them in the last month, Portugal, occupies one of the final places in the ranking, meaning that its population is among those in the table with the least spending power.
As can be seen, the number of registrations per thousand residents has fallen in the last year. A drop in registrations generally indicates a fall in consumer confidence and, when it is sustained, a recession in the real economy.
Here we show you the progression of vehicle registrations in Portugal. You can see car registrations in other countries in en vehicle registrations and see all the economic information about Portugal in en Portuguese economy.