Statistics
Most popular car colours by year
The colours of cars on Britain’s roads, by the year they were first registered. Built from the 27,785,257 cars aged three and over that had an MOT in 2025, each counted once.
Grey is the most common colour among cars first registered in 2022, at 26.0%. Before that the most common was black in 2017, white from 2013 to 2016 and black from 2010 to 2012. Silver peaked with cars first registered in 2003: 34.5% of those still being tested are silver.
- Most common colour, 2022 cars Grey 26.0% of those tested
- Silver at its peak 2003 34.5% of 2003 cars tested
- Cars counted, 2025 MOTs 27,785,257 each car once
How car colours have changed
Share of cars by colour and year of first registration, 1994 to 2022
The 6 most common colours. Each point is the share among cars first registered that year and still being tested in 2025.
| First registered | Black | Grey | Blue | White | Silver | Red |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | 9.6% | 4.8% | 23.3% | 9.9% | 9.1% | 23.0% |
| 1995 | 8.4% | 5.1% | 25.2% | 7.4% | 9.0% | 19.7% |
| 1996 | 8.1% | 4.2% | 23.9% | 7.4% | 11.5% | 19.2% |
| 1997 | 9.0% | 3.1% | 24.2% | 5.4% | 15.6% | 17.6% |
| 1998 | 8.6% | 2.2% | 24.2% | 5.0% | 21.5% | 15.8% |
| 1999 | 8.9% | 2.5% | 25.3% | 3.2% | 25.1% | 14.8% |
| 2000 | 9.3% | 2.9% | 24.5% | 2.1% | 28.9% | 13.3% |
| 2001 | 10.3% | 4.9% | 24.3% | 1.6% | 30.5% | 10.8% |
| 2002 | 11.7% | 6.5% | 24.6% | 1.2% | 32.6% | 9.5% |
| 2003 | 13.3% | 7.7% | 24.2% | 0.9% | 34.5% | 8.1% |
| 2004 | 15.1% | 10.2% | 23.5% | 0.7% | 34.5% | 7.0% |
| 2005 | 18.0% | 11.9% | 23.7% | 0.6% | 33.6% | 6.7% |
| 2006 | 20.0% | 13.4% | 23.3% | 0.6% | 29.7% | 8.1% |
| 2007 | 22.2% | 15.0% | 21.5% | 1.0% | 26.4% | 8.2% |
| 2008 | 23.5% | 14.8% | 19.6% | 2.5% | 25.9% | 9.2% |
| 2009 | 22.8% | 13.4% | 18.9% | 5.9% | 22.9% | 11.2% |
| 2010 | 23.2% | 13.9% | 17.0% | 10.0% | 21.0% | 10.6% |
| 2011 | 22.8% | 14.4% | 13.8% | 15.3% | 19.0% | 10.1% |
| 2012 | 21.4% | 13.4% | 11.6% | 21.0% | 16.6% | 10.9% |
| 2013 | 19.9% | 13.2% | 12.0% | 22.3% | 14.5% | 12.5% |
| 2014 | 19.2% | 13.7% | 13.8% | 22.4% | 12.5% | 13.0% |
| 2015 | 19.0% | 15.6% | 15.0% | 21.5% | 11.2% | 12.5% |
| 2016 | 19.9% | 17.3% | 15.6% | 20.7% | 10.1% | 11.7% |
| 2017 | 20.1% | 19.9% | 16.2% | 19.1% | 10.0% | 10.3% |
| 2018 | 20.0% | 21.1% | 16.4% | 18.4% | 9.3% | 10.4% |
| 2019 | 20.1% | 22.7% | 16.6% | 18.2% | 8.7% | 10.2% |
| 2020 | 19.6% | 24.6% | 17.5% | 17.7% | 7.5% | 9.5% |
| 2021 | 20.1% | 24.9% | 17.7% | 17.4% | 6.8% | 9.3% |
| 2022 | 19.8% | 26.0% | 16.9% | 16.9% | 6.1% | 8.9% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
Every year
| First registered | Cars | Black | Grey | Blue | White | Silver | Red | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 1,421,326 | 19.8% | 26.0% | 16.9% | 16.9% | 6.1% | 8.9% | 5.4% |
| 2021 | 1,458,147 | 20.1% | 24.9% | 17.7% | 17.4% | 6.8% | 9.3% | 3.8% |
| 2020 | 1,452,427 | 19.6% | 24.6% | 17.5% | 17.7% | 7.5% | 9.5% | 3.6% |
| 2019 | 2,074,601 | 20.1% | 22.7% | 16.6% | 18.2% | 8.7% | 10.2% | 3.5% |
| 2018 | 2,110,009 | 20.0% | 21.1% | 16.4% | 18.4% | 9.3% | 10.4% | 4.4% |
| 2017 | 2,219,846 | 20.1% | 19.9% | 16.2% | 19.1% | 10.0% | 10.3% | 4.4% |
| 2016 | 2,324,510 | 19.9% | 17.3% | 15.6% | 20.7% | 10.1% | 11.7% | 4.7% |
| 2015 | 2,233,585 | 19.0% | 15.6% | 15.0% | 21.5% | 11.2% | 12.5% | 5.2% |
| 2014 | 2,039,168 | 19.2% | 13.7% | 13.8% | 22.4% | 12.5% | 13.0% | 5.4% |
| 2013 | 1,773,597 | 19.9% | 13.2% | 12.0% | 22.3% | 14.5% | 12.5% | 5.6% |
| 2012 | 1,484,560 | 21.4% | 13.4% | 11.6% | 21.0% | 16.6% | 10.9% | 5.1% |
| 2011 | 1,273,538 | 22.8% | 14.4% | 13.8% | 15.3% | 19.0% | 10.1% | 4.6% |
| 2010 | 1,191,233 | 23.2% | 13.9% | 17.0% | 10.0% | 21.0% | 10.6% | 4.3% |
| 2009 | 1,038,910 | 22.8% | 13.4% | 18.9% | 5.9% | 22.9% | 11.2% | 4.9% |
| 2008 | 831,399 | 23.5% | 14.8% | 19.6% | 2.5% | 25.9% | 9.2% | 4.5% |
| 2007 | 748,673 | 22.2% | 15.0% | 21.5% | 1.0% | 26.4% | 8.2% | 5.7% |
| 2006 | 554,815 | 20.0% | 13.4% | 23.3% | 0.6% | 29.7% | 8.1% | 4.9% |
| 2005 | 413,021 | 18.0% | 11.9% | 23.7% | 0.6% | 33.6% | 6.7% | 5.5% |
| 2004 | 310,845 | 15.1% | 10.2% | 23.5% | 0.7% | 34.5% | 7.0% | 9.0% |
| 2003 | 236,216 | 13.3% | 7.7% | 24.2% | 0.9% | 34.5% | 8.1% | 11.3% |
| 2002 | 163,422 | 11.7% | 6.5% | 24.6% | 1.2% | 32.6% | 9.5% | 13.9% |
| 2001 | 106,707 | 10.3% | 4.9% | 24.3% | 1.6% | 30.5% | 10.8% | 17.6% |
| 2000 | 67,588 | 9.3% | 2.9% | 24.5% | 2.1% | 28.9% | 13.3% | 19.0% |
| 1999 | 49,286 | 8.9% | 2.5% | 25.3% | 3.2% | 25.1% | 14.8% | 20.2% |
| 1998 | 38,034 | 8.6% | 2.2% | 24.2% | 5.0% | 21.5% | 15.8% | 22.7% |
| 1997 | 27,611 | 9.0% | 3.1% | 24.2% | 5.4% | 15.6% | 17.6% | 25.1% |
| 1996 | 17,655 | 8.1% | 4.2% | 23.9% | 7.4% | 11.5% | 19.2% | 25.7% |
| 1995 | 14,005 | 8.4% | 5.1% | 25.2% | 7.4% | 9.0% | 19.7% | 25.2% |
| 1994 | 11,549 | 9.6% | 4.8% | 23.3% | 9.9% | 9.1% | 23.0% | 20.3% |
The most common colour each year is in bold. Other colours: green, orange, brown, beige, yellow, bronze, purple, gold, turquoise, cream, pink, maroon, multi-colour.
Data sources and methodology
| Figures | Source | Period | Records | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MOT results | Anonymised MOT tests and results Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency Derived statistics UK Motoring | 2025 | 27,785,257 cars MOT tested | 15 September 2026 |
- Cars aged three and over given a normal MOT test in Great Britain in 2025, each counted once, by year of first registration.
- These are the cars still on the road, not every car sold: older years show the colours that survived, and colours of rarer or classic cars may be over-represented.
- Colour is the broad colour on the car’s record, one of 20 in DVSA’s data, so every shade of grey counts as grey.
- The chart and table start in 1994: from then on every year has at least 10,000 cars tested.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.