China's Domestic Car Sales Decline 20% in First Four Months, Inventory Surges 34%
From January to April 2026, China's domestic car sales plummeted by 20.6%, and in April, automotive dealer inventory reached 2.6 million units, a 34% increase year-on-year. This indicates a significant decline in domestic demand and a sharp rise in inventory.
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- 📰 Published: May 12, 2026 at 19:33
- 🔍 Collected: May 12, 2026 at 20:02 (28 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 13, 2026 at 10:22 (14h 20m after Collected)
Central News Agency
(Central News Agency, Taipei, 12th) Entering 2026, China's automotive market has shown a significant decline, with domestic car sales falling by 20.6% in the first four months. Concurrently, automotive dealer inventory in April reached 2.6 million units, a substantial 34% increase compared to the same period last year.
The China Association of Automobile Manufacturers yesterday released its latest production and sales data, showing that in April, automotive production and sales completed 2.575 million units and 2.526 million units respectively, a decrease of 1.7% and 2.5% compared to the same period last year. From January to April, cumulative automotive production and sales completed 9.614 million units and 9.574 million units respectively, decreasing by 5.5% and 4.8%.
The slight decline in China's automotive production and sales in the first four months is due to surging exports, which largely offset the decline in domestic demand.
Data shows that from January to April, China's domestic car sales were 6.447 million units, a 20.6% decrease compared to the same period last year. Among these, domestic sales of traditional fuel vehicles were 3.527 million units, a 21% year-on-year decrease; domestic sales of new energy vehicles were 2.92 million units, a 20.2% year-on-year decrease, a rare decline.
Concurrently, from January to April, China's automotive exports reached 3.127 million units, a significant increase of 61.5%. Among these, new energy vehicle exports were 1.384 million units, a 1.2-fold year-on-year increase; traditional fuel vehicle exports were 1.743 million units, a 34.6% year-on-year increase. China's automotive export sales now account for 32.6% of total sales, a notable increase from 19.1% in 2025.
The China Automobile Dealers Association today released the results of its April "Automotive Dealer Inventory" survey. The comprehensive inventory coefficient for automotive dealers in April was 1.89, an increase of 7.4% from March and a substantial 34% increase compared to the same period last year.
According to statistics from the China Passenger Car Association, retail sales of passenger cars in April reached 1.384 million units. Based on this, the total inventory of automotive dealers at the end of April was approximately 2.6 million units.
The China Automobile Dealers Association analyzed that the car market in April saw a significant slowdown in retail transaction pace due to the impact of Qingming Festival and the over-pulling of sales in Q1. In late April, multiple new models were launched at the Beijing International Auto Show, coupled with consumers' anticipation of May Day holiday discounts and a wait-and-see attitude towards new car launches, leading to a delayed release of purchasing intent and demand, resulting in a sluggish retail market and a significant drop in sales. (Edited by Yang Shen-ru / Tang Sheng-yang) 1150512
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(Central News Agency, Taipei, 12th) Entering 2026, China's automotive market has shown a significant decline, with domestic car sales falling by 20.6% in the first four months. Concurrently, automotive dealer inventory in April reached 2.6 million units, a substantial 34% increase compared to the same period last year.
The China Association of Automobile Manufacturers yesterday released its latest production and sales data, showing that in April, automotive production and sales completed 2.575 million units and 2.526 million units respectively, a decrease of 1.7% and 2.5% compared to the same period last year. From January to April, cumulative automotive production and sales completed 9.614 million units and 9.574 million units respectively, decreasing by 5.5% and 4.8%.
The slight decline in China's automotive production and sales in the first four months is due to surging exports, which largely offset the decline in domestic demand.
Data shows that from January to April, China's domestic car sales were 6.447 million units, a 20.6% decrease compared to the same period last year. Among these, domestic sales of traditional fuel vehicles were 3.527 million units, a 21% year-on-year decrease; domestic sales of new energy vehicles were 2.92 million units, a 20.2% year-on-year decrease, a rare decline.
Concurrently, from January to April, China's automotive exports reached 3.127 million units, a significant increase of 61.5%. Among these, new energy vehicle exports were 1.384 million units, a 1.2-fold year-on-year increase; traditional fuel vehicle exports were 1.743 million units, a 34.6% year-on-year increase. China's automotive export sales now account for 32.6% of total sales, a notable increase from 19.1% in 2025.
The China Automobile Dealers Association today released the results of its April "Automotive Dealer Inventory" survey. The comprehensive inventory coefficient for automotive dealers in April was 1.89, an increase of 7.4% from March and a substantial 34% increase compared to the same period last year.
According to statistics from the China Passenger Car Association, retail sales of passenger cars in April reached 1.384 million units. Based on this, the total inventory of automotive dealers at the end of April was approximately 2.6 million units.
The China Automobile Dealers Association analyzed that the car market in April saw a significant slowdown in retail transaction pace due to the impact of Qingming Festival and the over-pulling of sales in Q1. In late April, multiple new models were launched at the Beijing International Auto Show, coupled with consumers' anticipation of May Day holiday discounts and a wait-and-see attitude towards new car launches, leading to a delayed release of purchasing intent and demand, resulting in a sluggish retail market and a significant drop in sales. (Edited by Yang Shen-ru / Tang Sheng-yang) 1150512
Choose to stand with facts, every sponsorship you make is a force to protect press freedom.
Download the Central News Agency's "First-hand News" APP to stay updated with the latest news.
The text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and used without authorization.