World December 2020: Sales up 2.3% thanks to China, USA and Japan

January 25, 2021
Matt Gasnier
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A dynamic Japanese market helps tilt global sales into positive.

LMC Automotive has released its Global Light Vehicle Sales Update for December, and it shows an encouraging +2.3% year-on-year uptick to an estimated 8.334.079 units. The Full Year 2020 tally is down -14% to 77.660.800 units, a loss of 12.6 million units compared to the 90.285.994 of 2019. In terms of annualised selling rate (SAAR), December is in line with the past four months at 91.3m units, above the FY2019 result which indicates the global light vehicle market has returned to pre-pandemic levels despite record-high infection rates worldwide.

Source: LMC Automotive

Looking at sales by region, there are three main engines of growth this month. China which was estimated at +5.8% to 2.82m units for a selling rate of 28m units, down on the peak of 30.8m but still way above the 25.5m of the FY2019. The USA is actually up 6.4% to 1.6m units according to LMC Automotive figures with a selling rate improving to 16.4m units, still below the 17m units of 2019. Japan finally is up 10.6% to 375.602 with a selling rate of 5.2m, edging above the 2019 figure of 5.1m. Western Europe (-3.7%) is helped by rushed sales of green cars while Eastern Europe (+0.7%) is lifted by Turkey.

Source: LMC Automotive