New car registrations in the European Union (EU) increased from last year in April, for the fist time in more than one-and half years, data released by the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA) showed Friday.
Sales of new passenger cars advanced 1.7 percent on an annual basis to around 1.04 million units in April, reversing the 10.2 percent fall recorded in March. The increase was the first since September 2011.
April's upturn was probably driven by the two additional working-days compared to the same month last year, the agency said.
The performance of the car market was divergent among the major member countries. Sales in the United Kingdom climbed 14.8 percent from a year earlier, and the German car market recorded a 3.8 percent gain. Spanish customers purchased 10.8 percent more passenger cars than they did in April 2012.
Meanwhile, car sales in France and Italy decreased 5.3 percent and 10.8 percent respectively from a year earlier.
During the four months ended April, total car sales in the EU decreased 7.1 percent to about 4.03 million units than in the same period a year earlier, data showed.
For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com
Economic News
What parts of the world are seeing the best (and worst) economic performances lately? Click here to check out our Econ Scorecard and find out! See up-to-the-moment rankings for the best and worst performers in GDP, unemployment rate, inflation and much more.
June 05, 2026 16:18 ET A busy week for economic news flow saw a slew of reports being released that reflected the trends in the U.S. labor market. In Europe, economic growth and inflation data gained attention as the European Central Bank and Bank of England head for policy session later in the month. In Asia, the monetary policy session of the Indian central bank was in focus as the country, a major oil importer, reels under the pressures of a weaker rupee and rising inflation.