Vehicle licensing statistics: 2006

This publication includes National Statistics on the stock of licensed vehicles in Great Britain in 2006.

The total number of motor vehicles licensed at the end of 2006 was 1.4 per cent higher than at the end of 2005 (Table 1), at 33. 4 million. There were increases in currently licensed vehicles for all body types, with the exception of company cars, where there was a decrease from 2005 to 2006. Changes from 2005 to 2006 in the stock of licensed vehicles include:

• The number of cars licensed increased by 1.1 per cent. 
• The number of company cars licensed decreased by 1.0 per cent. 
• The number of light goods vehicles licensed increased by 4.0 per cent. 
• The number of motorcycles, scooters and mopeds licensed increased by 1.5 per cent.
• The number of heavy goods vehicles licensed increased by 0.6 per cent.

The number of vehicles registered for the first time during 2006 was 3.6 per cent lower than the number registered for the first time during 2005 (Table 2). With the exceptiion of taxis there were decreases in the first time registrations for all body types. Changes from 2005 to 2006 in the number of vehicles being registered for the first time include:

• The number of cars registered for the first time decreased by 4.2 per cent.
• The number of company cars registered for the first time decreased by 3.2 per cent.
• The number of light goods vehicles registered for the first time was relatively unchanged, decreasing by 0.4 per cent.
• The number of motorcycles, scooters and mopeds registered for the first time was relatively unchanged, decreasing by 0.3 per cent.
• The number of heavy goods vehicles registered for the first time decreased by 2.3 per cent.

Notes

1. Statistics on licensed vehicle stock and vehicles registered for the first time are produced from DVLA licensing records, taken from the DVLA database 31 December each year.
2. Tables 1 and 2 show the number of vehicles by body type. Tables 3 and 4 show the number of vehicles by taxation group. The taxation group can be different to the body type; for example, almost 2 million cars are exempt from tax (such as those registered for the use of the disabled) and are recorded in the exempt tax class; over 100,000 buses and goods vehicles are recorded in the Private and Light Goods tax class as they are used for private non-commercial purposes.
3. Vehicle registration is a process to record details of vehicle keepers. The registered keeper of a vehicle is responsible for taxing the vehicle or telling DVLA that it is being kept off-road by making a Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN).
4. To be driven legally on the road, vehicles must have a current licence. Depending on the taxation group, licensing the vehicle may involve the payment of Vehicle Excise Duty. 

Publication details

Published on 28 June 2007 by Transport Statistics

Available by telephone order on +44 (0)20 7944 3077

E-mail: vehicles.stats@dft.gov.uk for queries concerning vehicle licensing statistics.

For information about release of this product see National Statistics Online