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Car Licence Statistics in London, England
The NimbleFins data experts analysed data from the Department for Transport to discover how car ownership in different boroughs of London has changed in the past five years. Areas where there are more licenced cars can struggle with heavier congestion during rush hour and school run, and leave residents unable to find parking. See how London compares to other regions in England in our article Roads Feel More Congested Than Ever? Worst Postcodes Revealed.
In the five years ending in Q3 2025, the number of cars in London actually DECREASED—from 2,657,999 to 2,631,356, a drop of 26,643 vehicles. This fall represents a 1% decrease, which is actually the smallest percentage increase in England over this five year period.
| Car License Stats for London | |
|---|---|
| Cars in Q3 2020 | 2,657,999 |
| Cars in Q3 2025 | 2,631,356 |
| Change | -26,643 |
| % Change | -1.00% |
The number of cars in the West Midlands also decreased (-5.1%) but everywhere else in Great Britain, the number of cars increased over the past 5-year period.
Areas of London with a Big Change in the Number of Cars
Only 7 boroughs saw an increase in the number of cars: Westminster, City of London, Hammersmith and Fulham, Hillindon, Tower Hamlets, Barking and Dagenham and Brent.
Westminster had the biggest raw increase in licensed cars in the five years ending Q3 2025, rising by 31,553 cars. Westminster also had the largest percentage increase in the number of cars: 63.6% over this 5-year period.
City of London had the second largest bump in car numbers in percentage terms (+14.6%); Hillingdon had the second largest increase in raw numbers of cars (+ 5,235).
The other boroughs saw a DECREASE in the number of cars. Bromley had the biggest decline in number of cars (-5,142), while Islington saw the biggest percentage decrease in cars: a decline of 7% bringing the number of cars down by 2,512 heading into 2026.
- Biggest numeric increase in cars: Westminster (up 7,812)
- Biggest percentage increase in cars: Westminster (up 15.5%)
- Biggest number drop in cars: Bromley (down 6,628)
- Biggest percentage drop in cars: Camden (down 11.8%)
Car License Stats for All London Boroughs
The data below shows car license data for all London, England boroughs. Displayed are the number of licensed cars heading into 2026, and the absolute and percentage changes over a 5-year time period. Boroughs are ordered according to the raw increase or decrease in number of registered cars. Lookup your area to see how it compares.
| Number of Licenced Cars in London | 2020 Q3 | 2025 Q3 | 5 year change | % change 5 years | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inner London | 716,084 | 721,946 | 5,862 | 0.8% | |
| Camden | 41,442 | 39,086 | -2,356 | -5.7% | |
| City of London | 2,302 | 2,638 | 336 | 14.6% | |
| Hackney | 42,422 | 40,709 | -1,713 | -4.0% | |
| Hammersmith and Fulham | 44,419 | 46,261 | 1,842 | 4.1% | |
| Haringey | 62,615 | 61,327 | -1,288 | -2.1% | |
| Islington | 35,745 | 33,233 | -2,512 | -7.0% | |
| Kensington and Chelsea | 40,403 | 37,599 | -2,804 | -6.9% | |
| Lambeth | 63,906 | 59,598 | -4,308 | -6.7% | |
| Lewisham | 77,198 | 73,910 | -3,288 | -4.3% | |
| Newham | 71,282 | 68,918 | -2,364 | -3.3% | |
| Southwark | 59,110 | 55,111 | -3,999 | -6.8% | |
| Tower Hamlets | 45,458 | 46,740 | 1,282 | 2.8% | |
| Wandsworth | 80,197 | 75,678 | -4,519 | -5.6% | |
| Westminster | 49,585 | 81,138 | 31,553 | 63.6% | |
| Outer London | 1,940,630 | 1,907,275 | -33,355 | -1.7% | |
| Barking and Dagenham | 65,305 | 66,452 | 1,147 | 1.8% | |
| Barnet | 142,148 | 139,664 | -2,484 | -1.7% | |
| Bexley | 106,521 | 104,349 | -2,172 | -2.0% | |
| Brent | 91,749 | 93,156 | 1,407 | 1.5% | |
| Bromley | 147,913 | 142,771 | -5,142 | -3.5% | |
| Croydon | 141,314 | 136,720 | -4,594 | -3.3% | |
| Ealing | 116,646 | 116,191 | -455 | -0.4% | |
| Enfield | 119,711 | 117,137 | -2,574 | -2.2% | |
| Greenwich | 79,201 | 76,040 | -3,161 | -4.0% | |
| Harrow | 99,938 | 96,601 | -3,337 | -3.3% | |
| Havering | 115,360 | 113,649 | -1,711 | -1.5% | |
| Hillingdon | 134,142 | 139,377 | 5,235 | 3.9% | |
| Hounslow | 96,685 | 95,895 | -790 | -0.8% | |
| Kingston upon Thames | 65,600 | 63,472 | -2,128 | -3.2% | |
| Merton | 70,709 | 67,752 | -2,957 | -4.2% | |
| Redbridge | 105,253 | 103,434 | -1,819 | -1.7% | |
| Richmond upon Thames | 76,770 | 74,663 | -2,107 | -2.7% | |
| Sutton | 87,250 | 84,467 | -2,783 | -3.2% | |
| Waltham Forest | 78,415 | 75,485 | -2,930 | -3.7% | |
| London | 2,657,999 | 2,631,356 | -26,643 | -1.0% | |
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: