High Level Summary of Statistics Trend Last update: Monday, September 28, 2009
Motor Vehicles Licensed
The total number of motor vehicles licensed in Scotland was over 2.7 million at the end of 2008. It has increased steadily over the years, with rises of 30 per cent since 1998, 26 per cent since 1999 and 23 per cent since 2000. However, there were fewer vehicles per 100 population in Scotland (52) than in Great Britain (58) in 2008.
About 84 per cent of all vehicles licensed in Scotland in 2008 were cars. Nine per cent were light goods vehicles, 3 per cent were motorcycles and heavy goods vehicles accounted for about 1 per cent. Thirty five per cent of all vehicles licensed in 2008 ran on diesel, compared with 22 per cent in 1998.
The number of new vehicles registered in Scotland fell by 14 per cent to 215,000 in 2008. This was the second lowest figure since 1998 when it was 210,000.
Eighty per cent of new vehicles licensed in 2008 were cars. Forty five per cent of all newly-registered vehicles ran on diesel, compared with 23 per cent in 1999 (the first year for which such a figure is available).

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Source: Scottish Transport Statistics
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