Year-on-year growth in UK car registrations slowed markedly in May 2026, with the annual increase easing to 7.1%, down from a robust 24.0% in April 2026.
According to data updated on 4 June 2026, the May reading compares the change in registrations to May a year earlier, while April’s figure reflected the year-over-year change for that month. The sharp deceleration suggests that, although the market continues to expand versus last year, the pace of recovery has moderated after April’s surge.
Analysts will be watching upcoming months to determine whether May’s weaker growth represents a temporary pause after strong base effects in April, or the start of a more sustained cooling in UK car demand on a year-over-year basis.
