West Midlands · District council
Worcester motoring statistics
How many cars and electric cars are registered in Worcester, which fuels they use, how many public chargers there are and how Worcester compares with the West Midlands. From DVLA licensing records, DfT charger statistics and ONS population estimates.
- Licensed cars 53,708 +1.3% on a year earlier
- Private cars per 1,000 people 479 UK 441
- Battery electric cars 1,681 3.1% of cars (UK 5.4%)
- Electric share of private cars 2.4% 122nd lowest of 361 councils
- Public chargers 219 205 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
- Company-registered cars 4.8% UK 9.9%
How many cars are there in Worcester?
There were 53,708 licensed cars in Worcester at the end of March 2026, and 63,830 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 5.4% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 479 for every 1,000 residents, 170th lowest of 361 councils (UK 441).
Licensed vehicles in Worcester
Counts at the end of March each year, 2010 to 2026.
| Year | All vehicles | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 58,381 | 50,939 |
| 2011 | 58,355 | 50,808 |
| 2012 | 59,504 | 51,798 |
| 2013 | 60,924 | 53,011 |
| 2014 | 61,135 | 52,978 |
| 2015 | 61,767 | 53,602 |
| 2016 | 64,349 | 55,902 |
| 2017 | 66,081 | 57,405 |
| 2018 | 64,661 | 56,879 |
| 2019 | 65,928 | 56,852 |
| 2020 | 65,223 | 56,106 |
| 2021 | 64,483 | 55,243 |
| 2022 | 61,172 | 51,655 |
| 2023 | 61,133 | 51,508 |
| 2024 | 62,305 | 52,520 |
| 2025 | 62,982 | 53,028 |
| 2026 | 63,830 | 53,708 |
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.
| Year | Worcester | West Midlands | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 519 | 506 | – |
| 2012 | 514 | 502 | – |
| 2013 | 523 | 503 | – |
| 2014 | 523 | 500 | – |
| 2015 | 526 | 506 | 473 |
| 2016 | 531 | 513 | 480 |
| 2017 | 547 | 523 | 488 |
| 2018 | 537 | 524 | 490 |
| 2019 | 534 | 519 | 493 |
| 2020 | 536 | 515 | 489 |
| 2021 | 534 | 485 | 493 |
| 2022 | 493 | 480 | 489 |
| 2023 | 492 | 479 | 489 |
| 2024 | 494 | 476 | 490 |
Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated
Petrol, diesel and electric cars in Worcester
58.1% of cars in Worcester run on petrol and 30.1% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 38.0% in 2017. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 6.8%, and cars that plug in 4.6%.
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.
| Year | Petrol | Diesel | Hybrid | Battery electric | Plug-in hybrid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 71.5% | 28.2% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2011 | 69.4% | 30.3% | 0.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2012 | 66.0% | 33.6% | 0.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2013 | 64.3% | 35.1% | 0.2% | 0.0% | 0.3% |
| 2014 | 62.6% | 36.8% | 0.2% | 0.0% | 0.2% |
| 2015 | 62.2% | 37.2% | 0.3% | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| 2016 | 61.6% | 37.9% | 0.4% | 0.1% | 0.0% |
| 2017 | 61.3% | 38.0% | 0.4% | 0.1% | 0.0% |
| 2018 | 62.3% | 36.9% | 0.5% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2019 | 64.4% | 34.6% | 0.7% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2020 | 63.6% | 34.8% | 0.9% | 0.3% | 0.4% |
| 2021 | 62.2% | 35.1% | 1.3% | 0.9% | 0.5% |
| 2022 | 61.2% | 35.3% | 2.0% | 0.8% | 0.5% |
| 2023 | 60.8% | 34.6% | 2.7% | 1.0% | 0.6% |
| 2024 | 60.2% | 33.6% | 3.7% | 1.5% | 0.8% |
| 2025 | 59.3% | 32.0% | 5.1% | 2.2% | 1.1% |
| 2026 | 58.1% | 30.1% | 6.8% | 3.1% | 1.5% |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated
Electric cars in Worcester
1,681 battery electric cars were licensed in Worcester at the end of March 2026, 3.1% of all cars, 128th lowest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 2,484 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 1,186.
Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 2.4% are battery electric (1,205 cars), 10th lowest of 30 councils in the West Midlands. Companies keep 28.3% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 4.8% of its cars overall. There are also 57 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 | Worcester | West Midlands | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2017 | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2018 | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2019 | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.2% |
| 2020 | 0.3% | 0.4% | 0.3% |
| 2021 | 0.9% | 0.6% | 0.7% |
| 2022 | 0.8% | 1.1% | 1.3% |
| 2023 | 1.0% | 1.3% | 2.1% |
| 2024 | 1.5% | 1.7% | 3.0% |
| 2025 | 2.2% | 2.5% | 4.1% |
| 2026 | 3.1% | 3.4% | 5.4% |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated
Public EV chargers in Worcester
There were 219 public chargers in Worcester on 1 July 2026, 55 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 205 for every 100,000 residents, 77th highest of 361 councils, against 175 across the UK. The count rose 12.3% from 1 January 2026.
For every public charger there are 8.6 privately kept plug-in cars in Worcester (UK 11.9), 71st 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 | 195 | 47 |
| Apr 2026 | 219 | 56 |
| Jul 2026 | 219 | 55 |
Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated
Chargers per 100,000 residents
| Area | All chargers | 50kW and above |
|---|---|---|
| Worcester | 205 | 52 |
| Worcestershire | 139 | 60 |
| West Midlands | 164 | 46 |
| England | 173 | 41 |
| UK | 175 | 42 |
Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated
Electric cars by neighbourhood
Worcester has 14 ONS neighbourhoods (middle layer super output areas, about 7,000 residents each). In the typical one, 2.3% of privately kept vehicles are battery electric; in the highest, 3.2%. ONS names neighbourhoods by council and number, not by place name.
| Neighbourhood (MSOA) | Private vehicles | Battery electric | Electric share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Worcester 003 | 4,162 | 132 | 3.2% | |
| Worcester 008 | 3,842 | 118 | 3.1% | |
| Worcester 013 | 5,299 | 140 | 2.6% | |
| Worcester 001 | 5,441 | 133 | 2.4% | |
| Worcester 006 | 2,797 | 66 | 2.4% | |
| Worcester 004 | 4,747 | 111 | 2.3% | |
| Worcester 014 | 3,735 | 84 | 2.2% | |
| Worcester 010 | 3,975 | 79 | 2.0% | |
| Worcester 011 | 3,438 | 64 | 1.9% | |
| Worcester 012 | 5,465 | 101 | 1.8% | |
| Lowest electric shares | ||||
| Worcester 005 | 4,397 | 27 | 0.6% | |
| Worcester 009 | 4,349 | 60 | 1.4% | |
| Worcester 012 | 5,465 | 101 | 1.8% | |
| Worcester 011 | 3,438 | 64 | 1.9% | |
| Worcester 010 | 3,975 | 79 | 2.0% | |
Privately kept licensed vehicles of all types at the end of March 2026. 2 neighbourhoods are left out because DfT withholds small counts there.
Road traffic and collisions in Worcester
Reported injury collisions
| Year | Collisions | Killed or seriously injured |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 85 | 23 |
| 2022 | 101 | 20 |
| 2023 | 75 | 18 |
| 2024 | 85 | 23 |
| 2025 | 91 | 29 |
Source:DfT STATS19,UK Motoring analysis 2021 to 2025 Updated
Petrol and diesel prices in Worcester
Unleaded petrol averages 172.7p a litre across 15 filling stations in Worcester, 1.0p above the UK average. Diesel averages 195.2p, 0.6p above the UK average. Prices checked 16 Sept, 16:47.
Cheapest petrol
- Sainsbury's Blackpole Worcester 170.9p
- Tesco Worcester Superstore Worcester 170.9p
- Tesco Worcester Warndon Superstore Worcester 170.9p
How Worcester compares
| Worcester | 479 | 3.1% | 205 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Worcestershire | 546 | 3.7% | 139 |
| West Midlands | 455 | 3.4% | 164 |
| England | 437 | 5.8% | 173 |
| United Kingdom | 441 | 5.4% | 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 March 2026.
Councils in Worcestershire
Sorted by battery electric share of cars. Select a column heading to sort by it.
| Bromsgrove | 552 | 4.7% | 191 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wychavon | 586 | 3.8% | 150 |
| Malvern Hills | 591 | 3.7% | 123 |
| Redditch | 509 | 3.6% | 81 |
| Worcester | 479 | 3.1% | 205 |
| Wyre Forest | 544 | 2.8% | 69 |
Data sources and methodology
| Figures | Source | Period | Records | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Licensed vehicles | Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport | End of March 2026 | 63,830 licensed vehicles in Worcester | 15 September 2026 |
| Plug-in and electric vehicles | Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport | End of March 2026 | 2,572 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 Worcester 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.