Filenews 14 December 2024
The population of Cyprus is ageing - hence the new measures for democracy - but so is the car fleet in the country.
The average age of most cars on Cypriot roads is between 10 and 20 years old and the percentage of this age category of vehicles amounts to 45.2% of the total. 66% of cars on Cypriot roads are more than ten years old. These are the highest average age of cars not considered new in the countries of the European Union.
Data released yesterday by Eurostat, with reference year 2023, show that the share of cars aged 2 years and under in Cyprus is only 4.42% and from 2 years to 5 years reaches 8.33%, resulting in a total of cars up to 5 years old circulating on Cypriot roads having a share of 12.75% of total cars in the country.
Cars circulating in Cyprus aged from 5 to 10 years constitute 21.29% of the total, while 10 to 20 years old are 45.2% and 20 years old and over are 20.74% of cars in Cyprus. Therefore, 66% of cars on Cypriot roads are older than ten years.
The figures released by Eurostat are disappointing and worrying, as they show that Cyprus has one of the smallest shares of young cars, just above Romania, while Cyprus is ahead of Latvia (with rates of 4.43% and 5.80% respectively). Eurostat notes in its report that data are not available for Bulgaria, Greece and Slovakia.
The highest shares of "younger" passenger cars (under 2 years old) in total vehicles were in Luxembourg (18.9%, compared to 4.42% in Cyprus), Germany (14.8%), Sweden (14.2%), Belgium (13.7%), Ireland (12.8%), Austria (12.6%), Netherlands (12.2%), Denmark 10.05%, Portugal 8.95%, Czech Republic 8.71%, France 8.55%, Italy 7.76%.
In contrast, several EU countries reported a large share of 'old' passenger cars (20 years and over) in 2023, including Romania (33.2%), Finland and Estonia (both 32.3%), Poland (29.9%), Portugal (27.2%), Malta (26.4%) and Lithuania (25.9%). We remind you that in Cyprus over 20 years old it is 20.74% of all cars). In recent years, several countries have offered programmes that support the purchase of new cars with low emissions, while also retiring old cars.
The overall objective of these programmes is to renew the passenger car fleet with lower emission or electric/hybrid cars, while stimulating the economy. These programmes have had some effect on the age composition of passenger cars in individual countries.
In 2023, the number of passenger cars registered in the EU exceeded 256 million, representing an increase of 6.5%, compared to 2018. The highest number of registered passenger cars was observed in Germany with 49 million cars. It is followed by Italy (almost 41 million cars) and France (over 39 million cars).
The 5-year period from December 2018 to December 2023 saw a strong increase in the number of registered passenger cars in several of the EU countries.
We were surpassed only by Italy and Luxembourg
The highest increase in registered cars over the period 2018-2023 was recorded in Romania (26%), followed by Lithuania (19%), Estonia (16%), Croatia (15%), Hungary, Slovakia and Cyprus (all 14%), Czechia (13%), as well as Greece and Portugal (both 11%).
Among the EU countries with the highest rates of passenger cars per 1,000 inhabitants, Italy leads the list (694 passenger cars per 1,000 inhabitants), in second place is Luxembourg with 675 cars per 1,000 inhabitants and in third place is Cyprus with 670 cars per 1,000 inhabitants.
Other countries with a high proportion of cars are Finland (664 cars) and Estonia (630 cars). Last in the ranking is Latvia with 418 cars and penultimate Romania with 425 cars.
