Highest number of used cars registered since 2015

Last year, the number of used cars sold in Belgium rose to its highest level in almost a decade. The proportion of polluting cars continued to fall.

According to Traxio, the organisation representing car repairers and sellers, the number of used cars sold in the country rose to 727,650 in 2024, an increase of 5.6 per cent compared to 2023. This is the highest number of registrations since 2015.

"The professional organisation and easy availability of second-hand cars, combined with falling prices, are convincing many consumers to opt for a used car," said spokesman Filip Rylant. 

"The fact that there are fewer 'affordable' new models available and that consumers are uncertain about which type of engine to choose is also working in favour of the used car market," he said.

Petrol and diesel

More than half of all newly registered used cars had petrol engines, while the share of diesel cars fell to less than a third. The share of other fuel types rose slightly to 14.3 per cent.

As expected, the share of "green" vehicles is slightly lower, with hybrid vehicles accounting for 10.6 per cent of the market and fully electric models accounting for 3.2 per cent. 

Traxio expects a significant decline in the second-hand market for electric cars, now that the Flemish premium to encourage the purchase of an electric car has been abolished.

Ageing vehicle fleet

The majority of registrations were made by private individuals. The share of company cars in the used car market fell slightly to 10 per cent.

Among used cars, Volkswagen was the most popular brand in 2024, followed by BMW, Mercedes, Opel and Peugeot. The most popular models were the VW Golf, VW Polo, and Opel Corsa.

The average age of registered used cars is seven years and 11 months, an increase explained by the ageing vehicle fleet. Traxio argues that this trend is detrimental to efforts to reduce emissions and promote greener vehicles.

^{© BELGA PHOTO YORICK JANSENS}