West Midlands · Metropolitan borough
Birmingham motoring statistics
How many cars and electric cars are registered in Birmingham, which fuels they use, how many public chargers there are and how Birmingham compares with the West Midlands. From DVLA licensing records, DfT charger statistics and ONS population estimates.
- Licensed cars 447,263 +2.7% on a year earlier
- Private cars per 1,000 people 347 UK 444
- Battery electric cars 12,475 2.8% of cars (UK 5.8%)
- Electric share of private cars 2.0% 31st lowest of 361 councils
- Public chargers 1,600 135 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
- Company-registered cars 8.1% UK 10.0%
How many cars are there in Birmingham?
There were 447,263 licensed cars in Birmingham at the end of June 2026, and 503,545 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 15.8% fewer cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 347 for every 1,000 residents, 40th lowest of 361 councils (UK 444).
Licensed vehicles in Birmingham
Counts at the end of March each year, 2010 to 2026.
| Year | All vehicles | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 633,828 | 531,206 |
| 2011 | 708,410 | 587,640 |
| 2012 | 684,685 | 569,011 |
| 2013 | 653,077 | 546,928 |
| 2014 | 671,859 | 560,215 |
| 2015 | 698,666 | 580,276 |
| 2016 | 735,889 | 607,230 |
| 2017 | 789,025 | 648,768 |
| 2018 | 803,277 | 662,810 |
| 2019 | 781,460 | 646,389 |
| 2020 | 752,027 | 621,831 |
| 2021 | 465,306 | 411,398 |
| 2022 | 467,850 | 413,577 |
| 2023 | 476,983 | 420,522 |
| 2024 | 485,119 | 428,643 |
| 2025 | 491,142 | 435,666 |
| 2026 | 503,545 | 447,263 |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated
Licensed vehicles by type
Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated
Cars per 1,000 residents
All licensed cars at the end of June, divided by the ONS mid-year population. Company fleets registered locally push this up.
| Year | Birmingham | West Midlands | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 547 | 506 | – |
| 2012 | 525 | 502 | – |
| 2013 | 500 | 503 | – |
| 2014 | 508 | 500 | – |
| 2015 | 521 | 506 | 473 |
| 2016 | 537 | 513 | 480 |
| 2017 | 569 | 523 | 488 |
| 2018 | 578 | 524 | 490 |
| 2019 | 562 | 519 | 493 |
| 2020 | 541 | 515 | 489 |
| 2021 | 360 | 485 | 493 |
| 2022 | 359 | 480 | 489 |
| 2023 | 359 | 479 | 489 |
| 2024 | 362 | 476 | 490 |
Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated
Petrol, diesel and electric cars in Birmingham
58.3% of cars in Birmingham run on petrol and 26.1% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 53.4% in 2017. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 10.3%, and cars that plug in 4.6%.
Cars by fuel type
Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated
Fuel mix over time
Share of licensed cars at the end of March each year.
| Year | Petrol | Diesel | Hybrid | Battery electric | Plug-in hybrid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 58.7% | 40.4% | 0.7% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2011 | 51.8% | 47.0% | 0.9% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2012 | 50.1% | 48.7% | 0.9% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2013 | 49.8% | 49.0% | 0.9% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2014 | 48.0% | 50.7% | 0.9% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2015 | 46.4% | 51.9% | 0.9% | 0.0% | 0.5% |
| 2016 | 44.9% | 52.8% | 0.9% | 0.0% | 1.0% |
| 2017 | 43.7% | 53.4% | 1.1% | 0.1% | 1.5% |
| 2018 | 43.8% | 52.5% | 1.3% | 0.1% | 2.0% |
| 2019 | 46.2% | 49.1% | 1.8% | 0.3% | 2.4% |
| 2020 | 48.2% | 45.1% | 2.5% | 1.0% | 2.9% |
| 2021 | 60.5% | 35.6% | 2.6% | 0.4% | 0.4% |
| 2022 | 61.2% | 33.6% | 3.5% | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| 2023 | 61.4% | 31.7% | 4.6% | 1.0% | 0.7% |
| 2024 | 60.9% | 29.8% | 6.3% | 1.4% | 0.9% |
| 2025 | 59.9% | 27.9% | 8.2% | 2.1% | 1.3% |
| 2026 | 58.3% | 26.1% | 10.3% | 2.8% | 1.8% |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated
Electric cars in Birmingham
12,475 battery electric cars were licensed in Birmingham at the end of June 2026, 2.8% of all cars, 53rd lowest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 20,465 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 9,159.
Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 2.0% are battery electric (8,354 cars), 2nd lowest of 30 councils in the West Midlands. Companies keep 33.0% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 8.1% of its cars overall. There are also 327 battery electric vans.
Battery electric share of licensed cars
End of March each year. Fleet re-registrations can move a single area’s line sharply.
| Year | Birmingham | West Midlands | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2017 | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2018 | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2019 | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.2% |
| 2020 | 1.0% | 0.5% | 0.4% |
| 2021 | 0.4% | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| 2022 | 0.6% | 1.0% | 1.5% |
| 2023 | 1.0% | 1.4% | 2.3% |
| 2024 | 1.4% | 1.8% | 3.2% |
| 2025 | 2.1% | 2.7% | 4.4% |
| 2026 | 2.8% | 3.7% | 5.8% |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated
Public EV chargers in Birmingham
There were 1,600 public chargers in Birmingham on 1 July 2026, 406 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 135 for every 100,000 residents, 168th lowest of 361 councils, against 175 across the UK. The count fell 1.7% from 1 January 2026.
For every public charger there are 9.3 privately kept plug-in cars in Birmingham (UK 12.9), 70th fewest of 361 councils. A higher number means more competition for each public charger, though many drivers charge at home.
Public chargers
| Date | All public chargers | 50kW and above |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2026 | 1,628 | 398 |
| Apr 2026 | 1,640 | 433 |
| Jul 2026 | 1,600 | 406 |
Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated
Chargers per 100,000 residents
| Area | All chargers | 50kW and above |
|---|---|---|
| Birmingham | 135 | 34 |
| West Midlands (county) | 194 | 37 |
| West Midlands | 164 | 46 |
| England | 173 | 41 |
| UK | 175 | 42 |
Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated
Electric cars by neighbourhood
Birmingham has 132 ONS neighbourhoods (middle layer super output areas, about 7,000 residents each). In the typical one, 1.4% of privately kept vehicles are battery electric; in the highest, 5.3%. ONS names neighbourhoods by council and number, not by place name.
| Neighbourhood (MSOA) | Private vehicles | Battery electric | Electric share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham 004 | 5,877 | 310 | 5.3% | |
| Birmingham 003 | 5,322 | 239 | 4.5% | |
| Birmingham 073 | 4,192 | 184 | 4.4% | |
| Birmingham 002 | 4,101 | 175 | 4.3% | |
| Birmingham 075 | 3,267 | 136 | 4.2% | |
| Birmingham 012 | 4,713 | 178 | 3.8% | |
| Birmingham 001 | 3,572 | 132 | 3.7% | |
| Birmingham 015 | 3,785 | 138 | 3.6% | |
| Birmingham 064 | 3,504 | 126 | 3.6% | |
| Birmingham 099 | 2,635 | 94 | 3.6% | |
| Lowest electric shares | ||||
| Birmingham 083 | 2,171 | 0 | 0.0% | |
| Birmingham 082 | 2,652 | 0 | 0.0% | |
| Birmingham 070 | 2,571 | 0 | 0.0% | |
| Birmingham 058 | 3,057 | 0 | 0.0% | |
| Birmingham 051 | 3,335 | 0 | 0.0% | |
Privately kept licensed vehicles of all types at the end of June 2026. 13 neighbourhoods are left out because DfT withholds small counts there.
Road traffic and collisions in Birmingham
Vehicles travelled an estimated 3,738 million miles on roads in Birmingham in 2025.
Traffic on all roads
| Year | Million vehicle miles |
|---|---|
| 1993 | 3,485 |
| 1994 | 3,532 |
| 1995 | 3,588 |
| 1996 | 3,575 |
| 1997 | 3,630 |
| 1998 | 3,674 |
| 1999 | 3,697 |
| 2000 | 3,659 |
| 2001 | 3,643 |
| 2002 | 3,700 |
| 2003 | 3,701 |
| 2004 | 3,635 |
| 2005 | 3,609 |
| 2006 | 3,591 |
| 2007 | 3,641 |
| 2008 | 3,520 |
| 2009 | 3,474 |
| 2010 | 3,433 |
| 2011 | 3,501 |
| 2012 | 3,534 |
| 2013 | 3,475 |
| 2014 | 3,588 |
| 2015 | 3,594 |
| 2016 | 3,632 |
| 2017 | 3,672 |
| 2018 | 3,701 |
| 2019 | 3,743 |
| 2020 | 2,998 |
| 2021 | 3,216 |
| 2022 | 3,584 |
| 2023 | 3,618 |
| 2024 | 3,657 |
| 2025 | 3,738 |
Source:DfT 1993 to 2025 Updated
Reported injury collisions
| Year | Collisions | Killed or seriously injured |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2,137 | 362 |
| 2022 | 2,383 | 418 |
| 2023 | 2,199 | 436 |
| 2024 | 2,296 | 482 |
| 2025 | 2,307 | 441 |
Source:DfT STATS19,UK Motoring analysis 2021 to 2025 Updated
Petrol and diesel prices in Birmingham
Unleaded petrol averages 170.3p a litre across 73 filling stations in Birmingham, 1.2p below the UK average. Diesel averages 198.7p, the same as the UK average. Prices checked 31 Oct, 19:32.
Cheapest petrol
- Costco Wholesale Birmingham Birmingham 160.9p
- Witton Road Birmingham 163.6p
- Jet Bordseley Service Station Ltd Birmingham 163.9p
How Birmingham compares
| Birmingham | 347 | 2.8% | 135 |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Midlands (county) | 393 | 3.4% | 194 |
| West Midlands | 459 | 3.7% | 164 |
| England | 440 | 6.2% | 173 |
| United Kingdom | 444 | 5.8% | 175 |
Private cars per 1,000 people use the ONS mid-2024 population. Chargers are counted at the latest date; plug-in cars at the end of June 2026.
Driving test centres in Birmingham
There are 6 DVSA car practical test centres in Birmingham, and the highest pass rate in 2025/26 was 56.6% at Birmingham (Shirley).
- Birmingham (Shirley) 56.6% pass rate, 2025/26
- Birmingham (Cocks Moors) 53.5% pass rate, 2025/26
- Birmingham (Kingstanding) 48.5% pass rate, 2025/26
- Birmingham (Kings Heath) 46.8% pass rate, 2025/26
- Birmingham (Garretts Green) 44.4% pass rate, 2025/26
- Birmingham (South Yardley) 42.8% pass rate, 2025/26
Other centres in the West Midlands metropolitan county:
DVSA publishes pass rates by centre name, with no address, so centres are placed here by the place name in the name DVSA uses. See pass rates at every test centre.
Councils in the West Midlands metropolitan county
Sorted by battery electric share of cars. Select a column heading to sort by it.
Data stories to read next
Data sources and methodology
| Figures | Source | Period | Records | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Licensed vehicles | Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport | End of June 2026 | 503,545 licensed vehicles in Birmingham | 26 October 2026 |
| Plug-in and electric vehicles | Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport | End of June 2026 | 21,062 plug-in vehicles | 26 October 2026 |
| Public chargers | Electric vehicle public charging infrastructure statistics Department for Transport | 1 July 2026 | 121,171 public chargers (UK) | 26 October 2026 |
| Population | Mid-year population estimates Office for National Statistics | Mid-2024 | 404 areas | 26 October 2026 |
| Neighbourhoods | Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport | End of June 2026 | 35,672 small areas (LSOAs) in England and Wales | 26 October 2026 |
- Coverage: licensing and charger figures cover the whole UK. Licensing figures in Birmingham run from the end of 2009.
- Vehicles are counted at the registered keeper’s postcode: for company cars that is the company’s address, not where the car is driven.
- Battery electric and plug-in counts come from table VEH0142; petrol, diesel and hybrid counts from VEH0105. “Other fuels” is VEH0105’s other-fuel count less plug-in cars.
- Charger counts are based on Zapmap data and are official statistics in development. In June 2026 one operator removed about 1,270 private chargers wrongly listed as public, so April and July are not strictly comparable.
- Neighbourhood figures cover England and Wales only; Scottish data zones and Northern Irish super data zones cannot be placed in councils without lookups we do not hold.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.