7 million motorised vehicles on our roads

The number of motorised vehicles on Belgian roads has surged above the seven million mark for a first time. The Belgian Economy Ministry says that the number of motorised vehicles continues to rise: reasons include the aging of the population and new style families.

On 1 August 7,076,238 motorised vehicles were registered for travel on Belgian roads. The figure includes 5,555,499 cars, 752,266 lorries and 456,512 motorbikes.

For a first time there is now one car for every two inhabitants. Most cars are DERV fuelled: 3, 3.483.424; 2.029.688 run on petrol. 1.792 are electricity powered.

Joost Kaesemans of the car producers’ federation Febiac: "The population is growing. This evolution has a knock-on effect on the number of cars. There are also more and more one-parent families and this too boosts car ownership."

The aging of the population plays a role too.

Joost Kaesemans: "The generation that has always had a car stays on the roads. The age when the eldest generation wasn't mobile is well and truly behind us."

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