The number of passenger cars in use in Austria has shown a consistent upward trend from 2013 to 2019 with a minor dip in 2020, likely due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The car usage swiftly recovered in 2021 with a significant rise and continued to grow steadily, reaching 5.02 million units in 2023. The year-on-year variation for 2022 and 2023 was 5.96% and 0.65%, respectively, indicating a slowing growth rate. Over the past five years leading up to 2023, the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) was 0.68%.

Future projections suggest a continued but modest growth in the number of passenger cars in use, with a forecasted 5-year CAGR of 0.53% from 2024 to 2028, amounting to a 2.7% overall growth during this period.

Future trends to watch for:

Increased adoption of electric and hybrid vehicles as regulatory and environmental pressures intensify.
Potential impact of shared mobility services and changing consumer preferences on private car ownership.
Technological advancements in autonomous driving and connected car technologies.