When industry experts analyze worldwide automotive statistics, they take many different factors into account in order to measure the health of the car industry and determine the leaders within the world marketplace.
Determining Worldwide Automotive Statistics
When experts determine the current state of the automotive industry, they look at several factors including the following.
- Car sales by make
- Car sales by region
- Car consumer demographics
- Car dealer statistics
- Vehicle penetration
When examining statistics, it's a good idea to keep in min that in most cases, auto manufacturers have different names for the same model. Vehicle names depend on the country from which the vehicle is shipped, and this can further complicate the issue of comparing sales throughout the world.
The Global Car Industry
Every industry analyst has his or her own set of tools to measure trends. While the most accurate sources for industry data are subscription-based, you can learn about worldwide automotive statistics by visiting many of the blogs that analyze and distribute worldwide trends. For example, the website Worldometers.com provides a wide range of world statistics for free, and the car section offers the following insight into the worldwide car industry.
- In 2005, there were over 46 million cars produced in the world. This increased to almost 55 million in 2007. The number dropped back down to just under 52 million in 2009.
- In 2006, the top countries that produced the most cars in the world were (in order from most to least vehicles produced) Japan at 11,484,233 units, the United States at 11,263,986 units, China at 7,188,708 units, and Germany at 5,819,614 units.
- In 2008, according to updated data from the International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers (OICA), the numbers changed to Japan at 11,563,629 units, United States at 8,705,239 units, China at 9,345,101 units, and Germany at 6,040,582 units.
The way that production or sales trends have changed in the past can help industry experts determine the continuing trends that can predict the future of the automotive industry.
Worldwide Car Trends by Region
Another useful tool that many car industry experts use to gauge consumer sentiment around the world is Internet search trends. Most consumers today use the Internet to conduct research before buying a new car. By closely analyzing search trends surrounding the automotive industry, industry analysts, car bloggers, and even dealers can predict consumer behavior throughout the auto marketplace, even focused on specific geographic areas. The best tool for this kind of research is Google Insights for Search because it allows you to apply a geographical filter on Internet search trends.
For example, searching under "Locations" for "Ford" searches from January 2007 through Jan 2010 reveals the following worldwide search trends for Ford.
- Interest level in Ford rises seasonally at the start of the year and drops in the fall.
- Interest levels in Ford only dropped slightly from 2007 through 2010
- Since 2008, interest in Ford was significantly less than interest in the overall automotive industry.
- The top five countries leading in searches for "Ford" are Iraq, U.S., Canada, Argentina, and Romania.
- The top five most common search terms are "Ford Focus", "Focus", "Mustang", "Ford Mustang," and "Ford Fiesta".
Another example of analyzing worldwide car trends with Google Insight is the same search as above for "Toyota".
- Interest level in Toyota also rises seasonally at the start of the year and drops in the fall.
- Interest levels in Toyota dropped more significantly from 2007 through 2010.
- Since late 2007, interest in Toyota dropped even more than Ford in relation to the overall automotive industry.
- The top five countries leading in searches for "Toyota" are Zambia, Malawi, Namibia, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe.
- The top five most common search terms are "Toyota Corolla", "Toyota Yaris", "Toyota Camry", "Toyota Cars," and "used Toyota."
By conducting similar analysis for various car makers, you can determine worldwide online statistics for all of the leading car manufacturers for free.
Further Research
If you would like to learn more about worldwide automotive statistics for the auto industry beyond Internet trends, there are countless blogs and websites online that accumulate the data from various sources and try to make sense out of them for readers. The following are some of the best online car trend sites that cover worldwide trends.
- Wards Auto offers subscription based data, but the site also publishes some of the best auto trend analysis articles on the web.
- The Car Section of Marketwatch is one of the premier go-to sites for the latest auto market trends throughout the world.
- The Auto Channel is one of the most comprehensive websites that covers buyers guides and car reviews, as well as updates regarding worldwide trends.
Final Words
Of course, no matter where you turn for world auto statistics, you can always count on LoveToKnow Cars for the most timely and useful auto information on the web. For more information about car trends, don't forget to check out the following articles.
- Car Sales Trends and Statistics
- Car Sales Statistics in USA
- Auto Industry Reports
- 2009 Car Buying Statistics
