Registrations of imported used cars up 25% in November

Last month, there were 6,413 imported used cars registered, up from 5,124 last year. File photo

The number of imported used cars registered for the first time increased by 25% in November, compared to the same month last year, new data from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) shows.

It comes as the number of new private cars registered fell.

Last month, there were 6,413 imported used cars registered, up from 5,124 last year. This brings the total registered in this category so far this year to just over 66,000 — a 14% increase.

However, while there was an increase in imported used cars, there was a decrease in new cars registered, with electric car registrations also seeing a decrease.

The number of new private cars licensed in November 2025 fell by 6% to 1,901 when compared with November last year. Volkswagen was the most popular brand of new car registered, accounting for 13%, followed by Skoda at 10%, and Toyota and Kia both at 7%.

The number of new private electric cars licensed during the month fell 9% to 521. The Tesla Model Y was the best-selling electric car with 75 new registrations.

The number of new plug-in hybrid electric cars registered in November grew 19% year-on-year to 277.

November is generally a slow month for new car registrations as many consumers hold off on buying a new car until the new year. Despite the November slump, overall new car registrations are still up compared to 2024.

In the first 11 months of the year, close to 120,000 new cars were registered — an increase of 4%. There was a rise of 38% in new private electric cars registered in that period from 16,786 last year to 23,134 so far this year.

This means the share of electric cars among new private cars from January to November 2025 was 19% compared with 15% in the same period of 2024. The combined share of petrol and diesel cars among new private cars licensed during this period has fallen from 54% to 43%.