Vehicles per Thousand People: U.S. Compared to Other Countries

The graphs below show the number of motor vehicles per thousand people for various countries. The data for the United States are displayed in the line which goes from 1900 to 2010. The points labeled on that line show data for the other countries/regions around the world and how their vehicles per thousand people compare to the United States at two different points in time, 2000 and 2010. For instance, the graph shows that in 2000, Western Europe's vehicles per thousand people was about where the United States was in 1970, but by 2010 it is about where the United States was in 1972. The lower part of the graph (1900-1940) is shown enlarged below.

The number of vehicles per thousand people in the United States has grown significantly from 1900 to 2007. In 2008 to 2010, however, the number decreased from a high of 843.57 in 2007.