This motorisation rate has remained stable for the last 10 years, while the number of passenger cars per 1000 inhabitants increased significantly in the same period (from 506 in 2014 to 578 in 2024).

The highest number of buses and motor coaches per 1000 people was recorded in Malta (4.6), followed by Luxembourg (4.0), and Estonia (3.7). The lowest rates were recorded in the Netherlands (0.5), Germany (1.0), and Austria (1.2).

This information comes from data on transport equipment recently published by Eurostat. The article presents some findings from the more detailed Statistics Explained article on transport equipment.

On average, 5.1 percent of the bus and motor coach fleet was renewed across the EU in 2024. The renewal rate represents the ratio of first-registered vehicles in all vehicles, excluding the second-hand vehicles.

In Luxembourg, 11.6 percent of the fleet was renewed, 9.6 percent in the Netherlands and 9.5 percent in Austria. In contrast, only 0.7 percent of the fleet was renewed in Bulgaria, 2.4 percent in Poland and 2.5 percent in Hungary. 

Efforts to improve the air quality, especially in urban areas, have had a positive impact on the share of zero-emission buses and motor coaches among all new vehicle registrations.

At EU level, in 2024, this share was higher than for new passenger cars (17.8 percent vs 13.5 percent), corresponding to 6 746 newly registered zero-emission motor coaches and buses.