China Car Sales Fall 3.2% in January
2026-02-11 06:34
By
Chusnul Chotimah
1 min. read
China’s total vehicle sales dropped 3.2% year-on-year to an eleven-month low of 2.346 million units in January 2026, after a 6.2% fall in December 2025, according to data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM).
New energy vehicle (NEV) sales edged up 0.1% yoy to 945 thousand units, marking the eleventh consecutive monthly increase but below the 1 million mark for the first time since March 2025.
Sales at home dropped 19.5% yoy to 1.4 million units, the steepest fall since February 2024.
Monthly, total car sales plunged 28.30% in January, following a 4.6% drop recorded in December.
Last month, CAAM projected China’s overall passenger vehicle sales would rise 1% year-on-year to reach 34.75 million units in 2026.
NEV sales are projected to reach 19 million units in 2026, climbing 15.2% year-on-year.
In 2025, China’s vehicle sales grew 9.4% year-on-year to a record high of 34.4 million units, accelerating from 4.5% in the previous year, with NEV sales surging 28.2%.