Our take on the latest Car registrations (Mon 11 Jan 2021)
Total car registrations down 25%pa in December
Nearly 51,000 fewer registrations in 2020 compared to 2019
Ex rentals, total registrations down 15%pa in 2020
The key numbers...
- The car market didn’t end 2020 on the highest note, with total passenger car registrations down 25%pa in December – the largest fall since August when Auckland was at Level 3.
- Lower registrations were broad-based, with new car registrations down 32%pa in December and used car registrations down 20%pa.
- Overall, the 2020 year saw a 21%pa drop in total passenger vehicles registered, with 193,991 registrations recorded – 50,869 fewer than in the 2019 year.
- The collapse of rental car registrations is a key factor in this decline, with an 83%pa decline in the 2020 year, accounting for around a third of the annual drop.
- Excluding rentals, total registrations fell 15%pa in 2020, with used car registrations (down 19%pa) hit harder than new car registrations (down 10%pa).
- Car registrations continue to outstrip car imports, with customs data (to November 2020) showing registrations running 8%pa above import levels in 2020.
More registrations than imports
Monthly total car registrations and imports
...and our reaction
- Car registrations ended 2020 on a sour note, with activity deteriorating further at the end of the year.
- COVID-19 hammered the passenger vehicle market in 2020. Lower demand as households locked down, rental needs evaporating, and supply disruptions hitting other economies and trade routes, were the main reasons for decline.
- Excluding rental cars, new vehicle registrations held up better than used cars, highlighting the increase in registrations after lockdown as Kiwis spent some of their funds on a vehicle upgrade.
- With the domestic economy looking in better shape than expected, supply issues look likely to determine the path for car registrations in the short-term.
Latest updates
Premium
Car registrations
Strong car registrations despite Iran War
Thu 2 Jul 2026
Quarterly
+19%pa New car registrations in June 2026 quarter+165%pa EV registrations in June 2026 quarter
Fuel prices off highs, still 19% higher than pre-conflictPremium
Car registrations
EV car registrations surge following fuel price spike
Thu 2 Apr 2026
Quarterly
4x higher Full battery EV registrations than in March 2025Fuel prices rise 30%+ in March 2026Car registrations trending lower before the warCar registrations
Total car registrations slowly lifting from low
Mon 12 Jan 2026
Quarterly
183,099 Total car registrations in the year to December 2025, down 1.1%pa
Quarterly new car registrations up 6.7%paQuarterly used car registrations down 4.1%paCar registrations
New car registrations lift the annual total from a low
Wed 1 Oct 2025
Quarterly
182,258 Total car registrations in the year to September, up 5.7%pa
New car registrations up 20%pa from September 2024Used car registrations down 7.3%pa from September 2024