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The graphs below show the number of motor vehicles per thousand people for various countries and regions. The annual data for the United States from 1900 to 2014 are displayed in the solid line. The points labeled on that line show data for other countries/regions around the world in 2004 and 2014 and how their vehicles per capita compare to the United States. For instance, the graph shows that in 2004, Eastern Europe’s vehicles per thousand people was about where the United States was in 1936, but by 2014 it was about where the United States was in 1952. The lower part of the graph (1900-1935) is shown enlarged on the second graph.

Vehicles per Thousand People: U.S. (Over Time) and Other Countries (in 2004 and 2014)

Vehicles per Thousand People: U.S. (Over Time) and Other Countries (in 2004 and 2014)
Vehicles per Thousand People: U.S. (Over Time) and Other Countries from 1900 to 1935

Fact #962 Dataset

Supporting Information

Vehicles per Thousand People in Other Countries, 2004 and 2014
Country/Region Vehicles per 1,000 people
2004 2014
Africa 23.1 35.1
Asia, Far East 46.6 90.4
Asia, Middle East 90.7 134.8
Brazil 119.7 206.0
Canada 580.8 655.9
Central & South America 115.1 186.5
China 21.4 104.9
Europe, East 222.5 346.8
Europe, West 569.5 590.9
India 10.7 30.8
Indonesia 28.8 82.3
Pacific 530.6 584.2
United States 829.9 816.4

Note: Though some countries are listed separately in this table, those countries are also included in the regional total. For instance, China is listed separately, but is also included in the Asia, Far East region.

Vehicles per Thousand People in the United States, 1900–2014
Year U.S. vehicles per
1,000 people
Year U.S. vehicles per
1,000 people
Year U.S. vehicles per
1,000 people
Year U.S. vehicles per
1,000 people
Year U.S. vehicles per
1,000 people
1900 0.11 1923 134.90 1946 243.11 1969 533.37 1992 757.96
1901 0.19 1924 154.35 1947 262.56 1970 545.35 1993 761.94
1902 0.29 1925 173.26 1948 280.20 1971 562.45 1994 766.94
1903 0.41 1926 189.10 1949 299.56 1972 585.60 1995 770.99
1904 0.67 1927 195.77 1950 323.71 1973 615.19 1996 781.16
1905 0.94 1928 204.87 1951 337.14 1974 632.32 1997 776.02
1906 1.27 1929 219.31 1952 340.57 1975 640.07 1998 781.20
1907 1.65 1930 217.34 1953 353.67 1976 659.47 1999 790.07
1908 2.24 1931 210.37 1954 361.40 1977 669.03 2000 800.32
1909 3.45 1932 195.38 1955 379.77 1978 690.17 2001 825.81
1910 5.07 1933 192.38 1956 387.58 1979 700.42 2002 815.73
1911 6.81 1934 199.90 1957 392.11 1980 710.71 2003 816.11
1912 9.90 1935 208.61 1958 392.17 1981 715.22 2004 829.94
1913 12.94 1936 222.62 1959 402.83 1982 713.95 2005 837.25
1914 17.79 1937 233.33 1960 410.37 1983 724.30 2006 840.69
1915 24.77 1938 229.65 1961 415.11 1984 728.20 2007 844.54
1916 35.48 1939 236.93 1962 426.06 1985 744.50 2008 841.57
1917 49.57 1940 245.63 1963 438.75 1986 753.33 2009 828.67
1918 59.69 1941 261.57 1964 451.57 1987 758.58 2010 808.38
1919 72.50 1942 244.73 1965 466.90 1988 772.92 2011 812.32
1920 86.78 1943 225.89 1966 489.34 1989 776.99 2012 807.50
1921 96.68 1944 220.23 1967 500.66 1990 773.40 2013 808.64
1922 111.53 1945 221.80 1968 516.49 1991 760.19 2014 816.38

 

Source (both tables): Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Transportation Energy Data Book: Edition 35, ORNL-6990, Oak Ridge, TN, September 2016, Tables 3.5 and 3.6.

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