The guidance on this site is based on our own analysis and is meant to help you identify options and narrow down your choices. We do not advise or tell you which product to buy; undertake your own due diligence before entering into any agreement. Read our full disclosure here.

Car Licence Statistics in the East of England

To find areas in the East of England that have a lot more cars now than they did five years ago, the NimbleFins data experts analysed car licence data from the Department for Transport. Areas with more cars not only are more congested at peak times but also might suffer from parking shortages. To see how the East of England compares to other regions in England, see our article Roads Feel More Congested Than Ever? Worst Postcodes Revealed.

In the five years ending Q3 2023, the number of cars in the East of England increased from 3,374,527 to 3,443,582. Residents have to contend with an additional 69,000 cars on the road now—2% more than five years ago.

Car Licence Stats for the East of England
Cars in Q3 20183,374,527
Cars in Q2 20233,443,582
Change69,055
% Change2%

Areas of the East of England with Significantly More Cars

Most local areas in the East saw an increase in the number of cars in the five years heading into 2024.

Essex had the biggest raw increase in licenced cars in the five years ending Q3 2023, rising by 27,479 from 798,691 to 826,170, a rise of 3.4%. But in terms of a percentage increase, Uttlesford (an area within Essex) had the largest increase of 11.7% (rising from 55,514 to 62,028 cars).

A few areas lost cars over this 5-year period. Most notable is Watford (in Hertfordshire), which had 17,363 fewer cars in Q3 2023 compared to five years earlier, a drop of 28.2%.

  • Biggest numeric increase in cars: Essex (up 27,479)
  • Biggest percentage increase in cars: Uttlesford (up 11.7%)
  • Biggest number drop in cars: Watford (down 17,363)
  • Biggest percentage drop in cars: Watford (down 28.2%)

Car Licence Stats for East of England

The data below shows data for all East England local areas, providing the number of cars as of Q3 2023 and the absolute and percentage changes in the five years to Q3 2023, grouped by geographic area. See how many more cars are in your are today.

Heatmap showing the percentage change in licenced cars in the East of England
Heatmap showing the percentage change in licenced cars in the East of England
Area in East of EnglandNumber of Licenced Cars (2023 Q3)5 year change% change 5 years
Bedford97,580-9,444-8.8%
Central Bedfordshire173,52213,9778.8%
Luton90,5536,5377.8%
Peterborough181,319-2,434-1.3%
Southend-on-Sea81,4285260.7%
Thurrock84,7151,7142.1%
Cambridgeshire356,82713,2973.9%
Cambridge41,5836911.7%
East Cambridgeshire52,3342,5065.0%
Fenland57,1732,1643.9%
Huntingdonshire110,1324,1563.9%
South Cambridgeshire95,0983,3603.7%
Essex826,17027,4793.4%
Basildon100,1708,9179.8%
Braintree88,6553,9894.7%
Brentwood41,131-9,380-18.6%
Castle Point49,4393140.6%
Chelmsford98,4042,3772.5%
Colchester96,1773,7964.1%
Epping Forest71,770-568-0.8%
Harlow44,1792,0804.9%
Maldon41,8181,9494.9%
Rochford50,3342,2724.7%
Tendring81,3174,7666.2%
Uttlesford62,0286,51411.7%
Hertfordshire619,252-15,355-2.4%
Broxbourne50,904-134-0.3%
Dacorum84,0551,6872.0%
East Hertfordshire84,8811,9842.4%
Hertsmere54,435-1,218-2.2%
North Hertfordshire72,112700.1%
St Albans77,925-461-0.6%
Stevenage42,006500.1%
Three Rivers50,601-649-1.3%
Watford44,113-17,363-28.2%
Welwyn Hatfield57,9325531.0%
Norfolk496,53015,3743.2%
Breckland81,9822,6483.3%
Broadland79,6543,2934.3%
Great Yarmouth48,5171,4983.2%
King's Lynn and West Norfolk85,8831,7242.0%
North Norfolk60,4541,0981.8%
Norwich52,734860.2%
South Norfolk86,7354,6025.6%
Suffolk434,56116,7804.0%
Babergh57,0482,8775.3%
East Suffolk140,7362,9442.1%
Ipswich63,3721,3542.2%
Mid Suffolk67,8104,6867.4%
West Suffolk105,0144,4314.4%
East of England3,443,58269,0552.0%

Car Licence Stats for All Regions in England

If you'd like to see the details for other regions near you, here are the studies for other regions in England:

Comments

The guidance on this site is based on our own analysis and is meant to help you identify options and narrow down your choices. We do not advise or tell you which product to buy; undertake your own due diligence before entering into any agreement. Read our full disclosure here.

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