China’s Auto Production, Sales Surpass 34 Million in 2025, Leading Globally for 17th Year

In 2025, China’s NEV production and sales both exceeded 16 million units, maintaining the world’s top spot for the 11th consecutive year.

China’s automotive industry set new records in 2025, with vehicle production reaching 34.53 million units and sales hitting 34.4 million, up 10.4% and 9.4% year-on-year (YoY), respectively, according to the latest data released by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM).

This marks the 17th consecutive year China has led global automotive output.

Domestic brands continued to gain market share, with passenger car sales reaching 20.94 million units, accounting for nearly 70% of total sales, a 4.3 percentage point increase from 2024.

The primary driver of growth was the new energy vehicle segment. NEV production and sales each exceeded 16 million units, with NEVs accounting for over 50% of total new car sales in China.

Policy support, faster product supply, and ongoing improvements in charging and battery swap infrastructure have cemented China’s position as the world’s largest NEV market for 11 straight years.

Exports also contributed significantly to growth. Total auto exports reached 7.098 million units, up 21.1% YoY.

NEV exports doubled to 2.615 million units, led by 1.646 million battery electric vehicles (+66.7%) and 969,000 plug-in hybrids (+2.3x).

Among domestic manufacturers, the top 15 groups accounted for 31.741 million units, or 92.3% of total sales, up 9.1% YoY. The top five automakers were BYD, SAIC, Geely, FAW, and Changan.

NEV sales concentration among these 15 enterprises also increased, totaling 15.669 million units (+29.2%), representing 95% of NEV market share, with BYD, Geely, SAIC, Changan, and Dongfeng leading.

Independent brands excelled in exports. Chery led with 1.344 million units (18.9% of total), while BYD exported 1.054 million vehicles, up 1.4 times, ranking among the fastest-growing exporters.

Chen Shihua, deputy secretary-general of the CAAM, noted that from 2021 to 2025, China’s automotive industry achieved multiple milestones: annual production and sales exceeded 30 million units for three consecutive years, revenue surpassed RMB 10 trillion ($1.43 trillion), and auto exports became the world’s largest.

CAAM highlighted that intensified trade-in subsidies, a surge of new product launches, and sustained consumer demand underpinned the year’s stronger-than-expected production and sales growth.

Looking ahead to 2026, CAAM forecasts total vehicle sales in China at 34.75 million units, up 1% YoY. Passenger vehicle sales are expected to reach 30.25 million units, representing growth of about 0.5%.

NEV sales are projected to climb to 19 million units, a YoY increase of 15.2%, while auto exports are expected to rise to 7.4 million units, up 4.3%.