- China sold 17.6 million vehicles in Jan–Jul 2026, holding 31.4% of global auto sales despite a 4% decline.
- India drove growth with a 19% sales surge, while Vietnam rose 29% and Russia gained 8%.
- BYD, Geely, and Chery entered the global top 10, boosting Chinese brands’ market share to over 13%.
Data from Cui Dongshu, secretary-general of CPCA, showed that global vehicle sales reached about 8.24 million units in July, up 5% year-on-year.
Cumulative sales for the first seven months reached 56.11 million units, up 3% YoY.
Among major markets, China remained a key driver of the global auto market.
China sold about 17.6 million vehicles in the first seven months, down 4% YoY, but still accounting for 31.4% of global sales.
By comparison, US sales totaled about 9.52 million units during the same period, down 3% YoY and accounting for roughly 17% of the global market.
India sold 3.74 million units, up 19% YoY and representing 6.7% of global sales, while Japan sold about 2.8 million units, up 3% YoY and accounting for 5%.
China’s performance this year differs from the sustained expansion seen in previous years.
China accounted for 33.8%, 34.2% and 35.4% of global vehicle sales in 2023, 2024 and 2025, respectively.
The decline in China’s global share during the first seven months was mainly affected by the Lunar New Year holiday and policy factors at the start of the year.
As the market gradually recovered after March, China’s share of global sales rebounded to 32.7% in July.
From a global market perspective, most of the incremental growth this year has come from emerging markets. Vehicle sales rose 19% in India, 29% in Vietnam, 14% in Thailand and 8% in Russia.
By contrast, simultaneous declines in the two major markets of China and the US weighed on overall global sales growth.
Three Chinese automakers ranked among the world’s 10 largest auto groups by sales.
BYD ranked sixth globally, followed by Geely in seventh and Chery in ninth, with market shares rising to 5%, 4.6% and 4.2%, respectively.
Asian automakers generally performed strongly. Toyota Group retained the global No. 1 position with an 11% market share, supported by solid performance in Europe and North America.
Meanwhile, some traditional automakers saw their market shares decline significantly.
Volkswagen Group’s share fell to 8%, while Honda and Ford dropped to 3.4% and 4.1%, respectively.
Overall, the global auto market has recovered significantly since the downturn around 2020, with global vehicle sales reaching about 96.89 million units in 2025, a record high.
The global market has continued to grow in the first seven months of 2026, but the 3% growth rate indicates that the industry is shifting from a period of rapid post-downturn recovery toward more moderate expansion.
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