9309.0 - Motor Vehicle Census, Australia, 31 Mar 2008 Quality Declaration 
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 14/01/2009   
   Page tools: Print Print Page Print all pages in this productPrint All

January 14, 2009


MEDIA RELEASE
Embargoed 11.30 am (AEDT)

01/2009

Australia rides along on two wheeled growth: ABS

Motorcycle registrations in Australia are growing at a far greater rate than any other vehicle according to the latest annual Motor Vehicle Census released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

As of 31 March 2008 the total number of motor vehicles registered in Australia rose 3.5% (over the past 12 months) to reach 15.3 million, with motorcycles up 10.8% in the last year and by over 50% in the last five years. The vehicle type with the next largest growth was articulated trucks with 6.3% growth between March 2007 and March 2008 and 23.1% growth in the past five years.

The 15.3 million registrations equates to 719 vehicles for every 1,000 Australian residents.

Australia's motor vehicle fleet continues to get younger with the average age of vehicles falling from a high of 10.7 years in 1998 to 9.9 years in 2008:
  • Tasmania has the oldest vehicles, at 11.9 years on average, while the Northern Territory has the youngest at 8.9 years.

Further details are in available Motor Vehicle Census(cat. no. 9309.0).

Media note:
Articulated trucks are motor vehicles constructed primarily for load carrying, consisting of a prime mover which has no significant load carrying area, but with a turntable device which is linked to a semitrailer.