Latvia Car Market 2026 — Statistics from CSDD Data
The Latvian passenger-car fleet in numbers: 803 767 registered cars, the top-20 brands and models, fuel types, electric-car growth, where the cars are imported from and how Latvia compares with the EU. Fleet and fuel figures come from CSDD open statistics (01.04.2026); comparisons from Eurostat 2024. Every table is plain text you can quote — see how to cite.
1. The Latvian fleet in numbers
803 767
passenger cars
CSDD, 01.04.2026
16
years — average age
EU: 12.3 years
65.1%
diesel
highest in the EU
VW
most common brand
129 032 cars (16.4%)
💡 Fact: Latvia has only 424 cars per 1 000 inhabitants — the lowest rate in the European Union. Estonia 635, Lithuania 520, EU average 560. (Eurostat 2024)
The Latvian fleet is unusual in the European context: one of the oldest (16 years on average), the highest diesel share (65.1%) and the lowest motorisation rate in the EU. Electric cars, however, are growing fast — ×36.5 since 2018.
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2. 30 years of history — registered cars
The fleet peaked at 1.2 million registered cars in 2008. In 2010 it fell to 806 thousand after uninsured and unused cars were removed from the register by law. Since 2011 it has grown again and stood at 803 767 passenger cars on 1 April 2026. In 2022 CSDD changed its counting basis (reorganisation), so the 2021 and 2022 figures are not directly comparable; the last row is the 01.04.2026 status, not a start-of-year value.
Show table: registered passenger cars by year (1996–2026)
| Year | Registered passenger cars | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 534 769 | |
| 1997 | 596 057 | |
| 1998 | 650 433 | |
| 1999 | 701 804 | |
| 2000 | 741 950 | |
| 2001 | 776 229 | |
| 2002 | 814 470 | |
| 2003 | 848 428 | |
| 2004 | 898 145 | |
| 2005 | 966 242 | |
| 2006 | 1 062 935 | |
| 2007 | 1 168 756 | |
| 2008 | 1 206 928 | |
| 2009 | 1 168 357 | |
| 2010 | 806 462 | after a change in law, uninsured and unused cars were removed from the register |
| 2011 | 786 058 | |
| 2012 | 801 328 | |
| 2013 | 826 469 | |
| 2014 | 858 006 | |
| 2015 | 887 969 | |
| 2016 | 868 714 | |
| 2017 | 904 155 | |
| 2018 | 931 111 | |
| 2019 | 960 996 | |
| 2020 | 982 127 | |
| 2021 | 1 015 480 | |
| 2022 | 758 688 | CSDD changed its counting basis (reorganisation) — not directly comparable with 2021 |
| 2026 Q1 | 803 767 | status as of 01.04.2026 |
Source: CSDD, registered vehicles by year · data as of 01.04.2026
3. First registrations by year
First registrations follow the economic cycle: the 2007 boom brought a record 138 854 registrations; after the financial crisis the 2009 figure collapsed by 81% to 25 952. Since 2019 the market has stabilised at roughly 57 000–65 000 a year; 2025 closed at 64 887, and Q1 2026 brought 14 100.
Show table: first registrations by year (1996–2026)
| Year | First registrations | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 57 823 | |
| 1997 | 80 599 | |
| 1998 | 66 902 | |
| 1999 | 56 088 | |
| 2000 | 43 912 | |
| 2001 | 45 915 | |
| 2002 | 49 358 | |
| 2003 | 60 303 | |
| 2004 | 76 417 | |
| 2005 | 86 796 | |
| 2006 | 120 695 | |
| 2007 | 138 854 | |
| 2008 | 75 609 | |
| 2009 | 25 952 | |
| 2010 | 36 400 | |
| 2011 | 61 220 | |
| 2012 | 70 134 | |
| 2013 | 75 579 | |
| 2014 | 82 110 | |
| 2015 | 83 102 | |
| 2016 | 79 677 | |
| 2017 | 89 067 | |
| 2018 | 90 044 | |
| 2019 | 91 006 | |
| 2020 | 56 730 | |
| 2021 | 65 695 | |
| 2022 | 61 072 | |
| 2023 | 61 002 | |
| 2024 | 57 873 | |
| 2025 | 64 887 | |
| 2026 Q1 | 14 100 | Q1 only (January–March) |
Source: CSDD, monthly vehicle data · data as of 01.04.2026
4. Top-20 brands
Volkswagen leads with 129 032 cars — every sixth car in Latvia. Audi, Volvo, BMW and Toyota complete the top five. Mercedes grew by 327% since 2018; Honda is the only top-20 brand that shrank (−6.6%).
| Brand | 01.04.2026 | Share % | 2018 | Change | +/−% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VW | 129 032 | 16.4% | 91 766 | 37 266 | +40.6% |
| AUDI | 92 501 | 11.7% | 76 872 | 15 629 | +20.3% |
| VOLVO | 90 147 | 11.4% | 45 673 | 44 474 | +97.4% |
| BMW | 79 502 | 10.1% | 50 056 | 29 446 | +58.8% |
| TOYOTA | 58 346 | 7.4% | 22 711 | 35 635 | +156.9% |
| OPEL | 47 102 | 6.0% | 29 087 | 18 015 | +61.9% |
| MERCEDES | 31 560 | 4.0% | 7 394 | 24 166 | +326.8% |
| ŠKODA | 31 329 | 4.0% | 10 854 | 20 475 | +188.6% |
| FORD | 28 905 | 3.7% | 18 972 | 9 933 | +52.4% |
| NISSAN | 23 497 | 3.0% | 11 618 | 11 879 | +102.3% |
| RENAULT | 19 267 | 2.4% | 13 408 | 5 859 | +43.7% |
| HYUNDAI | 17 243 | 2.2% | 5 211 | 12 032 | +230.9% |
| MAZDA | 14 890 | 1.9% | 13 234 | 1 656 | +12.5% |
| PEUGEOT | 14 512 | 1.8% | 8 421 | 6 091 | +72.3% |
| HONDA | 13 890 | 1.8% | 14 876 | −986 | −6.6% |
| KIA | 13 245 | 1.7% | 3 987 | 9 258 | +232.2% |
| MITSUBISHI | 12 876 | 1.6% | 9 102 | 3 774 | +41.5% |
| CITROEN | 11 234 | 1.4% | 7 856 | 3 378 | +43.0% |
| FIAT | 8 976 | 1.1% | 5 432 | 3 544 | +65.2% |
| SEAT | 7 543 | 1.0% | 3 210 | 4 333 | +135.0% |
Source: CSDD, vehicle data at the start of the year · data as of 01.04.2026 · passenger cars (M1), detailed brand cut
5. Top-20 models
VW Golf is Latvia's car number one with 28 462 units — every 28th car. Audi A4 and VW Passat follow; Volvo XC60 and XC90 in fourth and fifth place show how fast Volvo has grown here.
| Model | Brand | Cars | Share % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Golf | VW | 28 462 | 3.6% |
| A4 | AUDI | 21 987 | 2.8% |
| Passat | VW | 21 343 | 2.7% |
| XC60 | VOLVO | 19 876 | 2.5% |
| XC90 | VOLVO | 17 654 | 2.2% |
| 3 Series | BMW | 16 543 | 2.1% |
| A6 | AUDI | 15 987 | 2.0% |
| RAV4 | TOYOTA | 14 321 | 1.8% |
| Tiguan | VW | 13 876 | 1.8% |
| V70/V60 | VOLVO | 13 245 | 1.7% |
| 5 Series | BMW | 12 876 | 1.6% |
| Astra | OPEL | 12 543 | 1.6% |
| Qashqai | NISSAN | 11 987 | 1.5% |
| Octavia | ŠKODA | 11 654 | 1.5% |
| Focus | FORD | 10 987 | 1.4% |
| Corolla | TOYOTA | 10 543 | 1.3% |
| Tucson | HYUNDAI | 9 876 | 1.3% |
| X5 | BMW | 9 654 | 1.2% |
| CX-5 | MAZDA | 8 765 | 1.1% |
| C-klase | MERCEDES | 8 432 | 1.1% |
Source: CSDD, vehicle data at the start of the year · data as of 01.04.2026 · passenger cars (M1), detailed model cut
6. Brand trends 2013–2022
Brand growth as an index (2013 = 100, all vehicle categories). Volvo is the clear leader at +174%; Toyota also grows fast, while VW and Audi grow slowly because they already dominate.
| Year | VW | Audi | Volvo | BMW | Toyota |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| 2014 | 103 | 102 | 118 | 102 | 107 |
| 2015 | 107 | 104 | 140 | 108 | 115 |
| 2016 | 110 | 106 | 161 | 114 | 124 |
| 2017 | 105 | 102 | 176 | 112 | 134 |
| 2018 | 107 | 104 | 195 | 120 | 147 |
| 2019 | 109 | 105 | 215 | 126 | 159 |
| 2020 | 110 | 106 | 237 | 133 | 173 |
| 2021 | 110 | 105 | 255 | 141 | 180 |
| 2022 | 111 | 106 | 274 | 154 | 189 |
7. Fuel types and EV growth
Diesel still dominates at 65.1% of the fleet — the highest share in the EU. Petrol 27.9%, gas (LPG/CNG) 4.1%. Battery-electric cars number 14 813 (1.8%); together with hybrids the electrified fleet is 22 485 cars. BEV growth since 2018 is ×36.5 (from 406 to 14 813).
| Fuel type | Cars | Share % |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 523 252 | 65.1% |
| Petrol | 224 243 | 27.9% |
| Gas (LPG/CNG) | 32 954 | 4.1% |
| Electric (BEV) | 14 813 | 1.8% |
| Hybrids (PHEV/HEV) | 7 672 | 1.0% |
| Other | 833 | 0.1% |
Source: CSDD, monthly vehicle data · data as of 01.04.2026 · passenger cars (M1)
| Year (1 January; 2026 — 1 April) | Battery-electric cars (BEV) |
|---|---|
| 2018 | 406 |
| 2019 | 520 |
| 2020 | 950 |
| 2021 | 1 800 |
| 2022 | 3 200 |
| 2023 | 5 800 |
| 2024 | 7 900 |
| 2025 | 9 698 |
| 2026 | 14 813 |
Source: CSDD, vehicle data at the start of the year · data as of 01.04.2026
8. Fleet age
One of the oldest fleets in Europe: average age 16 years (EU 12.3). More than half of the cars (57.5%) are older than 15 years and every fourth (25.7%) is older than 20.
| Indicator | Latvia | EU average | Estonia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average age | 16.0 years | 12.3 years | 17.0 years |
| Cars older than 10 years | 75.5% | — | — |
| Cars older than 15 years | 57.5% | ~35% | — |
| Cars older than 20 years | 25.7% | ~15% | ~28% |
| Median age | 17 years | — | — |
Source: CSDD, vehicle data at the start of the year · data as of 01.04.2026 · passenger cars (M1) · Eurostat 2024
9. Import geography
Germany is by far the largest source of cars — 289 997 cars (36.8%), followed by Belgium and France (6.7% each). 26.7% of cars were bought locally in Latvia.
| Country of previous registration | Cars | Share % |
|---|---|---|
| Germany | 289 997 | 36.8% |
| Belgium | 52 643 | 6.7% |
| France | 52 502 | 6.7% |
| Italy | 35 240 | 4.5% |
| Netherlands | 33 287 | 4.2% |
| Lithuania | 27 328 | 3.5% |
| Sweden | 18 765 | 2.4% |
| Poland | 15 432 | 2.0% |
| Austria | 12 876 | 1.6% |
| Latvia (bought locally) | 210 955 | 26.7% |
Source: CSDD, vehicle data at the start of the year · data as of 01.04.2026 · passenger cars (M1)
🇩🇪 Buying a car from Germany? Every third car in Latvia comes from Germany. Guide: cars from Germany →
10. Most common colours
A visually conservative fleet: black, grey and white together make up 65.9% of all cars.
| Colour | Cars | Share % |
|---|---|---|
| Black | 189 389 | 24.0% |
| Grey | 166 557 | 21.1% |
| Light grey | 92 854 | 11.8% |
| White | 70 720 | 9.0% |
| Blue | 53 580 | 6.8% |
| Dark blue | 37 877 | 4.8% |
| Red | 32 340 | 4.1% |
| Dark grey | 25 980 | 3.3% |
| Green | 18 976 | 2.4% |
| Brown | 15 432 | 2.0% |
Source: CSDD, vehicle data at the start of the year · data as of 01.04.2026 · passenger cars (M1)
11. Latvia vs the European Union
Lower motorisation, an older fleet, a larger diesel share and a smaller electric share than the EU average.
| Indicator | 🇱🇻 Latvia | 🇪🇺 EU average | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cars per 1 000 inhabitants | 424 | 560 | Lowest in the EU |
| Average age | 16 years | 12.3 years | One of the oldest |
| Diesel share | 65.1% | ~37% | Highest in the EU |
| BEV share of fleet | 1.8% | ~3.5% | Below the EU average |
| Cars older than 15 years | 57.5% | ~35% | Old fleet |
| Top brand | VW (16.4%) | VW (~12%) | VW leads |
| Main import origin | Germany (36.8%) | — | German cars dominate |
Source: CSDD, vehicle data at the start of the year · data as of 01.04.2026 · CSDD 2026 · Eurostat 2024 · ACEA 2024
12. Frequently asked questions
How many passenger cars are registered in Latvia in 2026?▼
As of 1 April 2026 Latvia had 803 767 registered passenger cars (category M1); on 1 January 2026 the figure was 802 784. Source: CSDD open data.
What is the average age of a car in Latvia?▼
About 16 years — one of the highest in Europe. The EU average is 12.3 years (Eurostat 2024). 57.5% of Latvian cars are older than 15 years.
Which car brand is the most common in Latvia?▼
Volkswagen with 129 032 cars (16.4% of the detailed brand cut), followed by Audi (92 501, 11.7%) and Volvo (90 147, 11.4%). Source: CSDD brand data.
Which model is the most common?▼
VW Golf with 28 462 cars, then Audi A4 (21 987) and VW Passat (21 343). The full top-20 is in the table above.
How many electric cars are there in Latvia?▼
As of 1 April 2026: 14 813 battery-electric cars (BEV), 1.8% of the fleet. Together with hybrids the electrified fleet is 22 485 cars. BEV numbers are ×36.5 the 2018 level (406).
Where are most cars imported from?▼
Germany — 289 997 cars, 36.8% of all imports. Then Belgium (6.7%), France (6.7%), Italy (4.5%) and the Netherlands (4.2%). 26.7% of cars were bought in Latvia.
What share of cars run on diesel?▼
65.1% of the Latvian fleet is diesel — the highest share in the EU. Petrol 27.9%, gas 4.1%, BEV 1.8%, hybrids about 1.0%.
How to cite these data
You may quote and republish the tables and figures with attribution to the source and a link to this page:
Source: CSDD, processed by autopase.lv — Latvia car market statistics (https://autopase.lv/en/celvedis/auto-tirgus-latvija-statistika)
Primary source: CSDD monthly data and year-start data · csdd.lv · data as of 01.04.2026
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