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Swansea motoring statistics

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

Last updated
Records analysed
176,439 licensed vehicles in Swansea
Methodology
View methodology
  • Licensed cars 135,476 +0.7% on a year earlier
  • Private cars per 1,000 people 485 UK 441
  • Battery electric cars 4,661 3.4% of cars (UK 5.4%)
  • Electric share of private cars 2.0% 66th lowest of 361 councils
  • Public chargers 387 154 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
  • Company-registered cars 10.1% UK 9.9%

How many cars are there in Swansea?

There were 135,476 licensed cars in Swansea at the end of March 2026, and 176,439 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 15.5% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 485 for every 1,000 residents, 178th lowest of 361 councils (UK 441).

Licensed vehicles in Swansea

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

Licensed cars and vehicles in Swansea at the end of March each year
Year All vehiclesCars
2010 138,914117,275
2011 141,819118,469
2012 145,145120,152
2013 145,966120,619
2014 145,474120,430
2015 145,907120,283
2016 149,235122,620
2017 152,056125,155
2018 152,326125,162
2019 155,997126,777
2020 158,208126,896
2021 159,521124,606
2022 163,294126,423
2023 167,762129,252
2024 171,668132,280
2025 175,439134,491
2026 176,439135,476

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated

Licensed vehicles by type

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 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, Swansea compared
Year SwanseaWalesUnited Kingdom
2011 498470–
2012 506471–
2013 504476–
2014 505482–
2015 504486473
2016 514493480
2017 521500488
2018 529504490
2019 532510493
2020 516504489
2021 527513493
2022 525510489
2023 521510489
2024 529514490

Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated

Petrol, diesel and electric cars in Swansea

55.1% of cars in Swansea run on petrol and 30.4% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 39.5% in 2018. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 8.4%, and cars that plug in 5.7%.

Cars by fuel type

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 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 Swansea, end of March each year
Year PetrolDieselHybridBattery electricPlug-in hybrid
2010 73.7%26.0%0.1%0.0%0.0%
2011 71.3%28.3%0.2%0.0%0.0%
2012 69.1%30.5%0.3%0.0%0.0%
2013 67.0%32.5%0.3%0.0%0.0%
2014 65.6%34.0%0.3%0.0%0.0%
2015 63.7%35.7%0.3%0.0%0.0%
2016 62.2%37.1%0.3%0.1%0.1%
2017 60.8%38.5%0.4%0.1%0.1%
2018 59.5%39.5%0.6%0.1%0.2%
2019 59.4%39.4%0.7%0.1%0.2%
2020 59.3%39.0%1.0%0.3%0.3%
2021 59.0%38.4%1.5%0.5%0.5%
2022 58.6%37.3%2.3%0.9%0.7%
2023 58.0%36.1%3.2%1.3%1.0%
2024 57.4%34.3%4.8%1.8%1.3%
2025 56.3%32.6%6.5%2.5%1.6%
2026 55.1%30.4%8.4%3.4%2.3%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated

Electric cars in Swansea

4,661 battery electric cars were licensed in Swansea at the end of March 2026, 3.4% of all cars, 163rd lowest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 7,768 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 3,328.

Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 2.0% are battery electric (2,460 cars), 8th highest of 22 councils in Wales. Companies keep 47.2% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 10.1% of its cars overall. There are also 725 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, Swansea compared, end of March each year
Year SwanseaWalesUnited Kingdom
2016 0.1%0.0%0.1%
2017 0.1%0.1%0.1%
2018 0.1%0.1%0.1%
2019 0.1%0.1%0.2%
2020 0.3%0.2%0.3%
2021 0.5%0.3%0.7%
2022 0.9%0.6%1.3%
2023 1.3%0.9%2.1%
2024 1.8%1.3%3.0%
2025 2.5%2.0%4.1%
2026 3.4%2.8%5.4%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated

Public EV chargers in Swansea

There were 387 public chargers in Swansea on 1 July 2026, 129 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 154 for every 100,000 residents, 155th highest of 361 councils, against 175 across the UK. The count rose 4.9% from 1 January 2026.

For every public charger there are 11.0 privately kept plug-in cars in Swansea (UK 11.9), 102nd 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 Swansea by date
Date All public chargers50kW and above
Jan 2026 369115
Apr 2026 368111
Jul 2026 387129

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Chargers per 100,000 residents

Public chargers per 100,000 residents, Swansea compared
Area All chargers50kW and above
Swansea 15451
Wales 18643
UK 17542

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Electric cars by neighbourhood

Swansea has 30 ONS neighbourhoods (middle layer super output areas, about 7,000 residents each). In the typical one, 1.7% of privately kept vehicles are battery electric; in the highest, 3.3%. ONS names neighbourhoods by council and number, not by place name.

Neighbourhoods in Swansea with the highest battery electric share of privately kept vehicles
Neighbourhood (MSOA) Private vehicles Battery electric Electric share Plug-in share
Swansea 027 3,309 109 3.3% 4.9%
Swansea 004 5,826 187 3.2% 5.0%
Swansea 031 4,622 146 3.2% 5.0%
Swansea 022 4,484 137 3.1% 4.3%
Swansea 030 4,902 142 2.9% 4.5%
Swansea 028 4,053 111 2.7% 4.0%
Swansea 032 6,773 174 2.6% 3.9%
Swansea 006 4,746 115 2.4% 3.8%
Swansea 029 3,706 90 2.4% 3.7%
Swansea 018 3,591 81 2.3% 3.5%
Lowest electric shares
Swansea 015 3,787 18 0.5% 1.1%
Swansea 009 18,193 139 0.8% 1.6%
Swansea 008 3,650 31 0.8% 1.7%
Swansea 025 2,978 31 1.0% 2.3%
Swansea 011 3,522 34 1.0% 1.7%

Privately kept licensed vehicles of all types at the end of March 2026. 4 neighbourhoods are left out because DfT withholds small counts there.

Road traffic and collisions in Swansea

Vehicles travelled an estimated 1,151 million miles on roads in Swansea in 2025.

Traffic on all roads

Million vehicle miles a year on roads in Swansea
Year Million vehicle miles
1993 839
1994 854
1995 868
1996 876
1997 890
1998 910
1999 939
2000 934
2001 946
2002 989
2003 999
2004 1,023
2005 1,026
2006 1,042
2007 1,055
2008 1,034
2009 1,011
2010 1,001
2011 1,014
2012 1,014
2013 1,027
2014 1,059
2015 1,080
2016 1,108
2017 1,116
2018 1,128
2019 1,141
2020 907
2021 1,028
2022 1,108
2023 1,118
2024 1,132
2025 1,151

Source:DfT 1993 to 2025 Updated

Reported injury collisions

Police-reported injury collisions in Swansea, 2021 to 2025
Year CollisionsKilled or seriously injured
2021 15731
2022 14432
2023 15842
2024 13827
2025 10727

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

More road safety figures

Petrol and diesel prices in Swansea

Unleaded petrol averages 172.6p a litre across 29 filling stations in Swansea, 0.9p above the UK average. Diesel averages 195.1p, 0.5p above the UK average. Prices checked 16 Sept, 16:47.

Cheapest petrol

  1. Murco Southview Service Station Abertawe 167.9p
  2. Murco Ck Foodstores Swansea 168.9p
  3. Murco Knelston Service Station SA3 168.9p

Every filling station and price in Swansea

How Swansea compares

Swansea compared with Wales, the UK
Swansea 485 3.4% 2.0% 10.1% 154 11.0
Wales 490 2.8% 2.1% 6.2% 186 9.0
United Kingdom4415.4%2.8%9.9%17511.9

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 March 2026.

Councils in Wales

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

Councils in Wales
Bridgend 486 4.3% 2.7% 10.1% 146 14.0
Monmouthshire 578 3.7% 3.2% 4.4% 283 10.6
Vale of Glamorgan 512 3.5% 3.0% 4.6% 139 16.9
Swansea 485 3.4% 2.0% 10.1% 154 11.0
Newport 457 3.2% 2.5% 5.5% 303 6.3
Cardiff 383 3.1% 2.4% 6.4% 118 13.1
Denbighshire 504 3.0% 2.1% 6.3% 179 8.9
Flintshire 555 2.9% 2.3% 4.8% 118 16.3
Conwy 514 2.7% 2.0% 5.7% 152 10.6
Torfaen 496 2.6% 1.9% 6.2% 155 9.5
Carmarthenshire 527 2.5% 1.9% 6.1% 216 7.4
Neath Port Talbot 474 2.5% 1.8% 6.8% 73 33.3
Caerphilly 495 2.4% 1.8% 5.7% 108 14.3
Wrexham 502 2.4% 1.8% 4.9% 204 8.6
Ceredigion 511 2.3% 1.9% 4.6% 306 4.8
Pembrokeshire 535 2.3% 1.8% 5.5% 365 4.1
Powys 549 2.3% 1.8% 5.1% 270 5.9
Rhondda Cynon Taf 470 2.3% 1.8% 6.0% 121 11.3
Isle of Anglesey 552 2.2% 1.6% 4.3% 245 5.7
Gwynedd 493 2.0% 1.5% 4.8% 390 3.0
Merthyr Tydfil 451 2.0% 1.5% 6.6% 139 9.0
Blaenau Gwent 499 1.7% 1.3% 5.3% 228 4.5

Data sources and methodology

Datasets used on this page
Figures Source Period Records Updated
Licensed vehicles Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of March 2026 176,439 licensed vehicles in Swansea 15 September 2026
Plug-in and electric vehicles Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of March 2026 8,733 plug-in vehicles 15 September 2026
Public chargers Electric vehicle public charging infrastructure statistics Department for Transport 1 July 2026 121,171 public chargers (UK) 15 September 2026
Population Mid-year population estimates Office for National Statistics Mid-2024 404 areas 15 September 2026
Neighbourhoods Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of March 2026 35,672 small areas (LSOAs) in England and Wales 15 September 2026
  • Coverage: licensing and charger figures cover the whole UK. Licensing figures in Swansea 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.
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.