6 Countries That Produce the Most Cars

The world’s car manufacturers put another 93.5 million vehicles on the roads in 2023, the last full-year numbers currently available. Most of the nations that produce most of the vehicles showed increased production for the year, from a 12% increase in China and 15% in Japan to just 6% in the U.S.

The top-selling car brand globally as of 2023 were Toyota, at 11.07%, followed by Volkswagen, at 6.41%, and Honda, at 4.18%.

Here we take a closer look at the production numbers from the top six countries in terms of the number of cars manufactured, including China, the U.S., Japan, Germany, India, and South Korea.

Key Takeaways

• Globally, motor vehicle production rose 10% to 93.5 million.
• Global production took a huge hit in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic but steadily recovered through the following years.
• China continues to rank as the number one producer of cars by volume..
• Following China, the United States, Japan, Germany, India, and South Korea round out the top six car producers.

1. China

China, the world’s biggest manufacturer overall, leads the world as a producer of cars. The country’s 2023 production totaled more than 30 million vehicles, adding up to more than 30% of all cars and trucks produced globally.

More than 26 million of those vehicles were passenger cars, in addition to 4 million commercial vehicles.

Chinese-made vehicles used to stay in China but the country’s export reach has grown. Their major destinations include European Union countries, despite punitive tariffs on China’s electric vehicles, as well as Central America and South America.

2. U.S.

The United States produced about 10.6 million cars and trucks in 2023, a 6% increase over the previous year.

Unlike other countries, the U.S. is big on trucks: more than 8.8 million of the vehicles produced were classed as commercial vehicles.

Note

In 2024, global sales of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles grew by 25% to more than 17 million vehicles.

3. Japan

After a precipitous drop in production from 2020-2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Japan produced just under 9 million vehicles in 2023. That’s still down from its pre-COVID total of nearly 9.7 million in 2019.

4. Germany

Top German automakers including Volkswagen AG, BMW AG, and Daimler AG produced approximately 4.1 million vehicles in 2023. This figure represented an 8% increase from the previous year.

5. India

While not well-known in America or Europe as a vehicle manufacturer, India produced 5.8 million of them in 2023. That’s an annual increase of 7%. India’s export markets for vehicles include Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and Mexico.

6. South Korea

Its logos like Hyundai and Kia are well known to American car buyers, but South Korea briefly lost its sixth-place global ranking to Mexico. It made a comeback in 2023, producing more than 4.2 million vehicles compared to Mexico’s total of 4 million.

That represents a 13% boost in South Korea’s numbers.

What Are the World’s Top-Selling Car Brands?

Toyota is the top-selling car manufacturer globally, with 8.57 million vehicles sold in 2023. That’s a market share of 11.18%.

Volkswagen comes in second at 4.97 million vehicles sold, or 6.41% market share.

Honda is in third place at 3.77 million, a market share of 4.87%.

What Are the Most Popular Brands Regionally?

In North America, Ford and Chevrolet vehicles remain popular. In Europe, Volkswagen dominates. In Asia, it’s Toyota and Hyundai.

What Is the Fastest-Growing Car Manufacturer?

The world’s fastest-growing vehicle brand is BYD Auto, up 47.46% year-over-year in 2023. In second place is GAC Group, up 37.27% year over year. Both are Chinese manufacturers.

The Bottom Line

Car manufacturing is a truly global market. Toyota, Volkswagen, and Honda lead the pack in global market share. But some fast-growing manufacturers bear names that few Americans would probably recognize. They include BYD Auto and GAC Group, two Chinese companies.