Summary Statistics for Passenger Cars,
1970-2006
The Federal Highway Administration released revised historical data back to 1985 in their “Highway Statistics Summary to 1995" report. As a result, the data in this table have been revised. The data in this table from 1985–on DO NOT include minivans, pickups, or sport utility vehicles.
| Year | Registrations * (thousands) |
Vehicle travel (million miles) |
Fuel use (million gallons) |
Fuel economy ** (miles per gallon) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1970 |
89,244 | 916,700 | 67,820 | 13.5 |
1971 |
92,718 | 966,330 | 71,346 | 13.5 |
1972 |
97,082 | 1,021,365 | 75,937 | 13.5 |
1973 |
101,985 | 1,045,981 | 78,233 | 13.4 |
1974 |
104,856 | 1,007,251 | 74,229 | 13.6 |
1975 |
106,706 | 1,033,950 | 74,140 | 13.9 |
1976 |
110,189 | 1,078,215 | 78,297 | 13.8 |
1977 |
112,288 | 1,109,243 | 79,060 | 14.0 |
1978 |
116,573 | 1,146,508 | 80,652 | 14.2 |
1979 |
118,429 | 1,113,640 | 76,588 | 14.5 |
1980 |
121,601 | 1,111,596 | 69,981 | 15.9 |
1981 |
123,098 | 1,133,332 | 69,112 | 16.4 |
1982 |
123,702 | 1,161,713 | 69,116 | 16.8 |
1983 |
126,444 | 1,195,054 | 70,322 | 17.0 |
1984 |
128,158 | 1,227,043 | 70,663 | 17.4 |
| 1985*** |
127,885 | 1,246,798 | 71,518 | 17.4 |
1986 |
130,004 | 1,270,167 | 73,174 | 17.4 |
1987 |
131,482 | 1,315,982 | 73,308 | 18.0 |
1988 |
133,836 | 1,370,271 | 73,345 | 18.7 |
1989 |
134,559 | 1,401,221 | 73,913 | 19.0 |
1990 |
133,700 | 1,408,266 | 69,568 | 20.2 |
1991 |
128,300 | 1,358,185 | 64,318 | 21.1 |
1992 |
126,581 | 1,371,569 | 65,436 | 21.0 |
1993 |
127,327 | 1,374,709 | 67,047 | 20.5 |
1994 |
127,883 | 1,406,089 | 67,874 | 20.7 |
1995 |
128,387 | 1,438,294 | 68,072 | 21.1 |
1996 |
129,728 | 1,469,854 | 69,221 | 21.2 |
1997 |
129,749 | 1,502,556 | 69,892 | 21.5 |
1998 |
131,839 | 1,549,577 | 71,695 | 21.4 |
1999 |
132,432 | 1,569,100 | 73,283 | 21.4 |
2000 |
133,621 | 1,600,287 | 73,065 | 21.9 |
2001 |
137,633 | 1,628,332 | 73,559 | 22.1 |
2002 |
135,921 | 1,658,474 | 75,471 | 22.0 |
2003 |
135,670 | 1,672,079 | 74,590 | 22.2 |
2004 |
136,431 | 1,699,890 | 75,402 | 22.5 |
2005 |
136,568 | 1,708,421 | 77,418 | 22.1 |
2006 |
135,400 | 1,682,671 | 74,983 | 22.4 |
| Average annual percentage change | ||||
1970–2006 |
1.2% | 1.7% | 0.3% | 1.4% |
1996–2006 |
0.4% | 1.4% | 0.8% | 0.6% |
Source:U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Highway Statistics 2006, Washington, DC, 2007, Table VM-1 and annual. (Additional resources: www.fhwa.dot.gov)
* This number differs from R.L. Polk’s estimates of “number of automobiles in use.” See Transportation Energy Data Book Table 3.3.
** Fuel economy for car population.
*** Beginning in this year the data were revised to exclude minivans, pickups and sport utility vehicles which may have been previously included.
