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| Source: CSO |
There were 5,558 Irish new private cars licensed in April 2009, compared with 17,587 in April 2008, a decrease of 68.4%, according to the CSO. The number of new goods vehicles licensed in April 2009 was 990 compared with 4,047 in the corresponding month last year - a decrease of 75.5%.
Data from the the Brussels-based Association of European Automobile Manufacturers, earlier this month, showed that European new passenger car registrations declined for the twelfth consecutive month in Europe, totaling 1,251,862 units in April, or 12.3% less than in the same month a year ago. Four months into 2009, the market decrease amounts to -15.9%. April counted on average one working day less across the region. Registrations were up +19.4% in Germany and down -90.8% in Iceland, -90.8%, -65.2% in Ireland and in -28.5% the UK.
The CSO's vehicle licensing figures also show that:
- In April 2009, the total number of all vehicles licensed was 16,551 compared with 31,971 during the same month in 2008 - a decrease of 48.2%.
- The total number of all new vehicles licensed during April 2009 was 7,555 compared with 23,712 during the same month in 2008 - a decrease of 68.1%.
- In April 2009, of the 5,558 new private cars licensed, 2,285 (41.1%) were petrol and 3,135 (56.4%) were diesel.
- The highest number of new private cars licensed in April 2009, classified by make, was Volkswagen (783) followed by Toyota (737), Ford (702), Nissan (421), Opel (326) and Peugeot (284).
- There were 6,032 second-hand private cars (i.e. imported used cars) licensed for the first time in April 2009. This is the highest number of second-hand private cars recorded for this monthly data series1.
The licensing figures refer to vehicles taxed for road use only and classified by taxation class.
1This data series began in January 1973, when just 246 second-hand private cars were licensed for the first time. The previous record was for May 2007, when 5,596 second-hand cars were licensed for the first time.
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| Source: CSO |
