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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 2018 | 3,374,527 |
| Cars in Q2 2023 | 3,443,582 |
| Change | 69,055 |
| % Change | 2% |
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.
| Area in East of England | Number of Licenced Cars (2023 Q3) | 5 year change | % change 5 years | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bedford | 97,580 | -9,444 | -8.8% | |
| Central Bedfordshire | 173,522 | 13,977 | 8.8% | |
| Luton | 90,553 | 6,537 | 7.8% | |
| Peterborough | 181,319 | -2,434 | -1.3% | |
| Southend-on-Sea | 81,428 | 526 | 0.7% | |
| Thurrock | 84,715 | 1,714 | 2.1% | |
| Cambridgeshire | 356,827 | 13,297 | 3.9% | |
| Cambridge | 41,583 | 691 | 1.7% | |
| East Cambridgeshire | 52,334 | 2,506 | 5.0% | |
| Fenland | 57,173 | 2,164 | 3.9% | |
| Huntingdonshire | 110,132 | 4,156 | 3.9% | |
| South Cambridgeshire | 95,098 | 3,360 | 3.7% | |
| Essex | 826,170 | 27,479 | 3.4% | |
| Basildon | 100,170 | 8,917 | 9.8% | |
| Braintree | 88,655 | 3,989 | 4.7% | |
| Brentwood | 41,131 | -9,380 | -18.6% | |
| Castle Point | 49,439 | 314 | 0.6% | |
| Chelmsford | 98,404 | 2,377 | 2.5% | |
| Colchester | 96,177 | 3,796 | 4.1% | |
| Epping Forest | 71,770 | -568 | -0.8% | |
| Harlow | 44,179 | 2,080 | 4.9% | |
| Maldon | 41,818 | 1,949 | 4.9% | |
| Rochford | 50,334 | 2,272 | 4.7% | |
| Tendring | 81,317 | 4,766 | 6.2% | |
| Uttlesford | 62,028 | 6,514 | 11.7% | |
| Hertfordshire | 619,252 | -15,355 | -2.4% | |
| Broxbourne | 50,904 | -134 | -0.3% | |
| Dacorum | 84,055 | 1,687 | 2.0% | |
| East Hertfordshire | 84,881 | 1,984 | 2.4% | |
| Hertsmere | 54,435 | -1,218 | -2.2% | |
| North Hertfordshire | 72,112 | 70 | 0.1% | |
| St Albans | 77,925 | -461 | -0.6% | |
| Stevenage | 42,006 | 50 | 0.1% | |
| Three Rivers | 50,601 | -649 | -1.3% | |
| Watford | 44,113 | -17,363 | -28.2% | |
| Welwyn Hatfield | 57,932 | 553 | 1.0% | |
| Norfolk | 496,530 | 15,374 | 3.2% | |
| Breckland | 81,982 | 2,648 | 3.3% | |
| Broadland | 79,654 | 3,293 | 4.3% | |
| Great Yarmouth | 48,517 | 1,498 | 3.2% | |
| King's Lynn and West Norfolk | 85,883 | 1,724 | 2.0% | |
| North Norfolk | 60,454 | 1,098 | 1.8% | |
| Norwich | 52,734 | 86 | 0.2% | |
| South Norfolk | 86,735 | 4,602 | 5.6% | |
| Suffolk | 434,561 | 16,780 | 4.0% | |
| Babergh | 57,048 | 2,877 | 5.3% | |
| East Suffolk | 140,736 | 2,944 | 2.1% | |
| Ipswich | 63,372 | 1,354 | 2.2% | |
| Mid Suffolk | 67,810 | 4,686 | 7.4% | |
| West Suffolk | 105,014 | 4,431 | 4.4% | |
| East of England | 3,443,582 | 69,055 | 2.0% |
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: