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Orkney Islands motoring statistics

How many cars and electric cars are registered in Orkney Islands, which fuels they use, how many public chargers there are and how Orkney Islands compares with Scotland. From DVLA licensing records, DfT charger statistics and ONS population estimates.

Last updated
Records analysed
18,627 licensed vehicles in Orkney Islands
Methodology
View methodology
  • Licensed cars 11,512 +1.4% on a year earlier
  • Private cars per 1,000 people 496 UK 444
  • Battery electric cars 522 4.5% of cars (UK 5.8%)
  • Electric share of private cars 4.0% 53rd highest of 361 councils
  • Public chargers 85 386 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
  • Company-registered cars 5.2% UK 10.0%

How many cars are there in Orkney Islands?

There were 11,512 licensed cars in Orkney Islands at the end of June 2026, and 18,627 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 13.8% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 496 for every 1,000 residents, 176th highest of 361 councils (UK 444).

Licensed vehicles in Orkney Islands

Counts at the end of March each year, 2010 to 2026.

Licensed cars and vehicles in Orkney Islands at the end of March each year
Year All vehiclesCars
2010 15,24910,117
2011 15,50110,226
2012 15,81410,345
2013 15,99310,407
2014 16,21110,599
2015 16,19010,580
2016 16,48310,747
2017 17,06211,113
2018 17,19411,172
2019 17,48011,326
2020 17,13111,100
2021 17,72711,391
2022 17,80911,245
2023 17,89911,184
2024 18,11111,295
2025 18,40311,352
2026 18,62711,512

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.

Cars per 1,000 residents at mid-year, Orkney Islands compared
Year Orkney IslandsScotlandUnited Kingdom
2011 477429–
2012 481430–
2013 484436–
2014 493443–
2015 492446473
2016 497450480
2017 511457488
2018 512461490
2019 518465493
2020 505462489
2021 517469493
2022 510466489
2023 508465489
2024 513468490

Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated

Petrol, diesel and electric cars in Orkney Islands

48.8% of cars in Orkney Islands run on petrol and 38.6% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 45.0% in 2020. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 5.9%, and cars that plug in 6.2%.

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.

Share of licensed cars by fuel type in Orkney Islands, end of March each year
Year PetrolDieselHybridBattery electricPlug-in hybrid
2010 65.9%34.1%0.0%0.0%0.0%
2011 63.7%36.2%0.1%0.0%0.0%
2012 61.7%38.2%0.0%0.0%0.0%
2013 59.9%40.0%0.0%0.0%0.0%
2014 58.3%41.4%0.1%0.2%0.0%
2015 56.7%42.7%0.1%0.5%0.0%
2016 55.4%43.7%0.1%0.6%0.1%
2017 54.4%44.3%0.2%0.9%0.1%
2018 53.7%44.5%0.3%1.3%0.2%
2019 53.3%44.6%0.4%1.4%0.3%
2020 52.5%45.0%0.5%1.6%0.4%
2021 52.2%44.5%0.7%1.9%0.5%
2022 51.7%44.1%1.2%2.3%0.7%
2023 51.4%43.1%1.5%2.8%0.9%
2024 50.5%42.0%2.7%3.3%1.2%
2025 49.6%40.4%4.2%3.9%1.5%
2026 48.8%38.6%5.9%4.5%1.7%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated

Electric cars in Orkney Islands

522 battery electric cars were licensed in Orkney Islands at the end of June 2026, 4.5% of all cars, 94th highest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 718 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 443.

Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 4.0% are battery electric (432 cars), 7th highest of 32 councils in Scotland. Companies keep 17.2% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 5.2% of its cars overall. There are also 99 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.

Battery electric share of licensed cars, Orkney Islands compared, end of March each year
Year Orkney IslandsScotlandUnited Kingdom
2016 0.6%0.1%0.1%
2017 0.9%0.1%0.1%
2018 1.3%0.1%0.1%
2019 1.4%0.2%0.2%
2020 1.6%0.3%0.4%
2021 1.9%0.7%0.8%
2022 2.3%1.2%1.5%
2023 2.8%1.9%2.3%
2024 3.3%2.5%3.2%
2025 3.9%3.4%4.4%
2026 4.5%4.5%5.8%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated

Public EV chargers in Orkney Islands

There were 85 public chargers in Orkney Islands on 1 July 2026, 15 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 386 for every 100,000 residents, 24th highest of 361 councils, against 175 across the UK. The count fell 8.6% from 1 January 2026.

For every public charger there are 7.3 privately kept plug-in cars in Orkney Islands (UK 12.9), 44th fewest of 361 councils. A higher number means more competition for each public charger, though many drivers charge at home.

Public chargers

Public EV chargers in Orkney Islands by date
Date All public chargers50kW and above
Jan 2026 9321
Apr 2026 8515
Jul 2026 8515

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Chargers per 100,000 residents

Public chargers per 100,000 residents, Orkney Islands compared
Area All chargers50kW and above
Orkney Islands 38668
Scotland 23259
UK 17542

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Road traffic and collisions in Orkney Islands

Vehicles travelled an estimated 99 million miles on roads in Orkney Islands in 2025.

Traffic on all roads

Million vehicle miles a year on roads in Orkney Islands
Year Million vehicle miles
1993 68
1994 70
1995 72
1996 73
1997 75
1998 75
1999 76
2000 76
2001 77
2002 79
2003 79
2004 76
2005 77
2006 81
2007 82
2008 81
2009 82
2010 83
2011 82
2012 82
2013 83
2014 87
2015 89
2016 93
2017 96
2018 93
2019 93
2020 74
2021 82
2022 88
2023 91
2024 96
2025 99

Source:DfT 1993 to 2025 Updated

Reported injury collisions

Police-reported injury collisions in Orkney Islands, 2021 to 2025
Year CollisionsKilled or seriously injured
2021 136
2022 116
2023 106
2024 137
2025 85

Source:DfT STATS19,UK Motoring analysis 2021 to 2025 Updated

More road safety figures

Petrol and diesel prices in Orkney Islands

Unleaded petrol averages 178.1p a litre across 3 filling stations in Orkney Islands, 6.6p above the UK average. Diesel averages 202.2p, 3.5p above the UK average. Prices checked 31 Oct, 19:32.

Cheapest petrol

  1. Eday Community Enterprise Ltd Orkney 175.4p
  2. Asda Dounby Express Petrol Kirkwall 176.9p
  3. W I Rendall Shop Orkney 182.1p

Every filling station and price in Orkney Islands

Roadworks in Orkney Islands

The Scottish Road Works Register lists 77 sets of roadworks in Orkney Islands, of which 11 are under way and 66 are planned. 25 of them close a road, a lane, a slip road or the hard shoulder. BT is behind the most, 56 of them (72.7%). From the extract of 30 October 2026.

Works most likely to hold you up

  • East Branch Road

    Road closed Under way, until 7 Nov 2026 BT

    Excavate to lay duct

  • Pickaquoy Road, Kirkwall

    Road closed Under way, until 3 Dec 2026 Orkney Islands Council

    Inlay Surfacing Works. Works will be completed in sections to maintain adjacent business access, during the surfacing works.

  • Church Road, St Margarets Hope

    Road closed Under way, until 26 Nov 2026 Orkney Islands Council

    Surfacing works

  • Back Road, St Margarets Hope

    Road closed Under way, until 26 Nov 2026 Orkney Islands Council

    Surfacing works

  • Cleat Road, South Ronaldsay

    Road closed 29 Oct 2026 to 18 Nov 2026 BT

    Excavate to lay duct (potential boxes) - multiple service connections

  • Liddle Road, South Ronaldsay

    Road closed 29 Oct 2026 to 18 Nov 2026 BT

    Excavate to lay duct (potential boxes) - multiple service connections

  • Willowburn Road, Kirkwall

    Road closed 1 Dec 2026 to 10 Dec 2026 BT

    Excavate to lay duct (potential boxes) - multiple service connections

  • Wardhill Road, Stromness Parish

    Road closed 21 Jan 2027 to 25 Jan 2027 BT

    Excavate to lay duct

  • Albert Street, Kirkwall

    Road closed 25 Jan 2027 to 2 Feb 2027 BT

    Excavate to lay duct (potential boxes) - multiple service connections

  • Bridge Street, Kirkwall

    Road closed 25 Jan 2027 to 1 Feb 2027 BT

    Excavate to lay duct (potential boxes) - multiple service connections

Who is digging

  • BT 56
  • Orkney Islands Council 15
  • Scottish Water 5
  • Scottish Hydro Electric Power Dis 1

How traffic is managed

  • Give and take 31
  • Road closed 25
  • Temporary traffic lights 14
  • Stop and go boards 5
  • No obstruction 1

The register publishes one extract a day, so works can start, finish or change after it is taken. Roadworks across Scotland.

Source:SRWR Extract of 2026-10-30 Updated

How Orkney Islands compares

Orkney Islands compared with Scotland, the UK
Orkney Islands 496 4.5% 4.0% 5.2% 386 7.3
Scotland 439 4.5% 3.3% 7.8% 232 9.7
United Kingdom4445.8%3.1%10.0%17512.9

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 Orkney Islands

There is 1 DVSA car practical test centre in Orkney Islands, and the highest pass rate in 2025/26 was 55.9% at Orkney.

Other centres in Scotland:

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 Scotland

Sorted by battery electric share of cars. Select a column heading to sort by it.

Councils in Scotland
Stirling 471 14.8% 4.5% 32.2% 511 6.0
Renfrewshire 439 12.8% 3.5% 34.8% 243 10.1
East Renfrewshire 475 5.5% 4.9% 4.3% 82 43.0
East Dunbartonshire 482 5.1% 4.5% 4.0% 103 32.4
West Lothian 481 4.9% 4.3% 5.6% 137 21.7
East Lothian 476 4.8% 4.4% 4.4% 600 5.1
Edinburgh 326 4.5% 3.6% 5.2% 192 9.7
Midlothian 465 4.5% 4.1% 5.1% 223 12.7
Orkney Islands 496 4.5% 4.0% 5.2% 386 7.3
South Lanarkshire 465 4.5% 3.9% 6.2% 182 15.3
Perth and Kinross 510 4.4% 3.9% 5.1% 363 8.3
Dundee 373 4.1% 3.2% 6.6% 472 3.7
North Lanarkshire 436 4.0% 3.4% 7.2% 168 13.7
Falkirk 495 3.9% 3.3% 5.4% 163 15.2
Fife 481 3.9% 3.4% 4.8% 132 18.2
South Ayrshire 483 3.9% 3.4% 5.1% 205 12.2
Aberdeenshire 533 3.8% 3.3% 4.3% 162 17.8
East Ayrshire 469 3.6% 3.1% 6.0% 229 9.6
Glasgow 309 3.5% 2.4% 9.6% 180 6.8
North Ayrshire 458 3.5% 3.0% 5.9% 199 10.6
Angus 507 3.4% 3.0% 4.7% 221 10.7
Clackmannanshire 496 3.4% 3.0% 4.9% 205 10.9
Aberdeen 399 3.3% 2.8% 4.4% 192 10.2
Scottish Borders 510 3.2% 2.9% 4.8% 224 10.4
Inverclyde 426 2.9% 2.5% 5.6% 237 7.5
West Dunbartonshire 421 2.9% 2.4% 6.7% 204 8.3
Argyll and Bute 474 2.8% 2.4% 4.7% 396 5.1
Highland 500 2.8% 2.3% 5.0% 387 5.0
Moray 507 2.8% 2.3% 4.5% 153 13.3
Dumfries and Galloway 514 2.4% 2.0% 5.7% 549 3.2
Shetland Islands 476 2.2% 1.7% 9.1% 323 4.3
Na h-Eileanan Siar 507 1.6% 1.3% 4.2% 515 2.4

Data stories to read next

All insights

Data sources and methodology

Datasets used on this page
Figures Source Period Records Updated
Licensed vehicles Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of June 2026 18,627 licensed vehicles in Orkney Islands 26 October 2026
Plug-in and electric vehicles Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of June 2026 829 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
  • Coverage: licensing and charger figures cover the whole UK. Licensing figures in Orkney Islands 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.
How we calculate these figures All data sources

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.