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Car Licence Statistics in the North West of England

We analysed car licence data from the Department for Transport to uncover which areas of the North West have had the biggest increase in cars on the road in the past five years. Larger numbers of licenced cars can mean that residents struggle with heavier traffic during peak hours and parking space shortages. See how the North East compares to other regions in England in our article Roads Feel More Congested Than Ever? Worst Postcodes Revealed.

From 2014 to 2019, the number of cars in the North East rose from 3,067,986 to 3,264,738, an increase of 196,752 vehicles. This represents a 6.4% increase over this five year period.

Car Licence Stats for the North West, England
Cars in Q2 20143,067,986
Cars in Q2 20193,264,738
Change196,752
% Change6.4%

Areas of the North West with Significantly More Cars

The BL8 postcode had the biggest increase in the number of licenced cars from 2014 to 2019, rising by 11,633 from 23,069 to 34,702 cars. This increase represented a 50.4% increase over five years—which is also the biggest percentage increase in the North West. BL8 covers the following areas of Bolton:

  • Bury
  • Brandlesholme
  • Greenmount
  • Affetside
  • Hawkshaw
  • Holcombe
  • Ramsbottom
  • Tottington
  • Walshaw

The postcode with the second biggest rise in number of licenced cars was BL3, where there were 3,028 more cars in 2019 than 2014. BL3 covers Bolton, Ainsworth, Bradley Fold, Bradshaw, Breightmet, Harwood, Tonge Fold and Tonge Moor in Bolton and Bury.

The area of the second with the biggest percentage increase in licenced cars was M12 (covering parts of Ardwick, Longsight and Chorlton-on-Medlock in Manchester), where the number of cars grew by 34.6% from 2014 to 2019.

Here are the North West postcodes with the biggest increase in licenced cars over the past five years, ranked on an absolute change basis.

PostcodeRegional Rank (out of 262)Rank in England (out of 2,069)Cars in Q2 2014Cars in Q2 2019Change% Change
BL81623,06934,70211,63350.4%
BL323522,02725,0553,02813.7%
M2234813,80016,5442,74419.9%
PR744929,96032,6882,7289.1%
BB155624,28626,9212,63510.8%
PR467134,64437,0532,4097.0%
CW877320,42122,8012,38011.7%
CW189018,66520,9122,24712.0%
M4099112,15614,4032,24718.5%
OL8109211,19813,4452,24720.1%
Heatmap showing the percentage change in licenced cars in the North West
Heatmap showing the percentage change in licenced cars in the North West

Car Licence Stats for All North West Postcodes

The table below shows car licence data for all North West postcodes. Displayed are the number of licenced cars in 2014 and 2019, and the absolute and percentage changes over that time period. Postcodes are ordered alphabetically. Lookup your postcode district to see how it compares to the rest of the region and England.

PostcodeRegional Rank (out of 262)Rank in England (out of 2,069)Cars in Q2 2014Cars in Q2 2019Change% Change
BB155624,28626,9212,63510.8%
BB104628714,64116,1091,46810.0%
BB111148648,4499,1867378.7%
BB1211385615,78716,5327454.7%
BB181329817,9698,6086398.0%
BB23926223,03324,5451,5126.6%
BB312894014,73315,4036704.5%
BB46840220,13621,3971,2616.3%
BB52316424,77526,6301,8557.5%
BB62121,6567,3127,4961842.5%
BB74427917,18318,6651,4828.6%
BB812191010,32511,0196946.7%
BB92618516,23317,9981,76510.9%
BL01911,4729,2619,5542933.2%
BL1119624,37526,5892,2149.1%
BL25535519,13520,4661,3317.0%
BL323522,02725,0553,02813.7%
BL47242312,61513,8321,2179.6%
BL51651,24113,80514,2624573.3%
BL611586715,31016,0467364.8%
BL72381,8478,7848,844600.7%
BL81623,06934,70211,63350.4%
BL91713527,29729,2641,9677.2%
CA11421,0349,3009,9046046.5%
CA101991,5098,7118,9802693.1%
CA111681,25111,10511,5584534.1%
CA122221,7383,9204,0591393.5%
CA131811,4028,7369,0813453.9%
CA141611,19217,24517,7344892.8%
CA151741,3157,4667,8744085.5%
CA161821,4133,5323,8693379.5%
CA172151,6852,6342,8021686.4%
CA182471,91616817463.6%
CA192441,902665681162.4%
CA26941315,57716,8161,2398.0%
CA202371,8341,9161,984683.5%
CA212501,92248448730.6%
CA222251,7534,3994,5281292.9%
CA232451,906801814131.6%
CA242531,926581580-1-0.2%
CA252361,8162,6992,776772.9%
CA262421,8842,0002,030301.5%
CA272391,855899952535.9%
CA281641,22613,14813,6114633.5%
CA32241,7467,6447,7751311.7%
CA42612,0326,1845,847-337-5.4%
CA51931,4834,1674,4542876.9%
CA61971,5015,3705,6432735.1%
CA71791,36812,61412,9843702.9%
CA81831,4185,6686,0023345.9%
CA92521,9241,1981,20020.2%
CH15837112,55013,8481,29810.3%
CH21691,25716,98617,4334472.6%
CH36037719,37220,6611,2896.7%
CH411461,0605,3345,92358911.0%
CH429367610,15111,0468958.8%
CH4310579816,89017,6807904.7%
CH441088269,43310,1997668.1%
CH459467814,66415,5568926.1%
CH461381,01510,96811,5846165.6%
CH472231,7435,8876,0211342.3%
CH482191,7108,3348,4891551.9%
CH4910173413,64314,4908476.2%
CH602141,6688,4188,5981802.1%
CH612081,6369,7559,9521972.0%
CH6210780813,47414,2547805.8%
CH631841,42415,83316,1613282.1%
CH642021,54011,46311,7122492.2%
CH658153111,32912,3931,0649.4%
CH6612090118,58719,2917043.8%
CW189018,66520,9122,24712.0%
CW101531,1278,6079,1485416.3%
CW114829013,14214,5951,45311.1%
CW1210377216,81517,6228074.8%
CW22015219,99721,8851,8889.4%
CW41701,2695,9986,4374397.3%
CW56539316,26117,5331,2727.8%
CW61269338,1248,8006768.3%
CW77749415,81916,9281,1097.0%
CW877320,42122,8012,38011.7%
CW95636418,46519,7721,3077.1%
FY11471,0629,2499,8385896.4%
FY21571,15810,54611,0575114.8%
FY310679912,64013,4307906.3%
FY48860019,12820,0979695.1%
FY59568722,75323,6398863.9%
FY61731,31416,21516,6254102.5%
FY71551,1459,85310,3765235.3%
FY89971923,38524,2448593.7%
L12311,8011,1051,193888.0%
L101781,3485,9426,3263846.5%
L11161286,5768,5711,99530.3%
L1211889713,33614,0457095.3%
L13987158,4619,32286110.2%
L14623857,8109,0911,28116.4%
L151098287,4528,21876610.3%
L162131,6587,0707,2541842.6%
L171581,1737,8698,3705016.4%
L181891,46111,31311,6143012.7%
L191371,0139,1559,7736186.8%
L22581,993353244-109-30.9%
L20533368,97110,3251,35415.1%
L211401,0297,5738,1806078.0%
L222101,6415,1515,3461953.8%
L232041,58614,70614,9302241.5%
L241027475,0505,88383316.5%
L258960514,33215,2939616.7%
L261751,3306,5606,9543946.0%
L272091,6381,8982,09519710.4%
L281921,4771,5041,79529119.3%
L292551,935319312-7-2.2%
L3977093,5064,37186524.7%
L301391,0166,4507,0666169.6%
L312201,72215,53615,6841481.0%
L321168865,9306,65272212.2%
L331299645,6276,27664911.5%
L342031,5685,9566,1892333.9%
L351431,04113,53014,1326024.4%
L361412413,58515,6032,01814.9%
L372111,65113,01613,2041881.4%
L382561,9411,6121,598-14-0.9%
L392051,58714,42714,6512241.6%
L4422719,08110,5811,50016.5%
L402001,53511,18511,4372522.3%
L51411,0302,7343,34160722.2%
L61108324,3695,13276317.5%
L692571,971328268-60-18.3%
L71441,0552,9883,58159319.8%
L8643905,5096,7861,27723.2%
L9754749,82910,9691,14011.6%
LA17142117,22518,4461,2217.1%
LA102341,8131,9282,006784.0%
LA111941,4856,0096,2952864.8%
LA121951,48711,04011,3252852.6%
LA131861,4388,6508,9683183.7%
LA1413399314,30814,9406324.4%
LA152161,6973,6863,8471614.4%
LA162271,7601,8031,9261236.8%
LA172431,900726745192.6%
LA182351,8143,9394,017782.0%
LA192481,91859560050.8%
LA21671,24712,03112,4854543.8%
LA202511,92375475730.4%
LA212491,91963564050.8%
LA222591,9992,5812,457-124-4.8%
LA232401,8594,6714,720491.0%
LA31351,00512,13912,7636245.1%
LA41451,05810,94211,5325905.4%
LA52071,5959,3789,5982202.3%
LA61501,0867,8858,4555707.2%
LA72211,7272,9773,1211444.8%
LA82331,8125,6075,687801.4%
LA99166214,39015,2999096.3%
M12602,0021,4081,278-130-9.2%
M11372586,1987,7141,51624.5%
M12573653,7755,0821,30734.6%
M13764923,8244,9361,11229.1%
M14312107,6139,3061,69322.2%
M151279393,4214,09267119.6%
M163825910,40111,9161,51514.6%
M172461,907575588132.3%
M18472895,6277,0871,46025.9%
M192719410,37812,1251,74716.8%
M22411,8821681993118.5%
M2010072017,10217,9598575.0%
M213322010,82712,4921,66515.4%
M2234813,80016,5442,74419.9%
M237344310,73611,9211,18511.0%
M243221718,49920,1741,6759.1%
M251511,09012,88813,4535654.4%
M268554915,12016,1561,0366.9%
M275937617,05618,3471,2917.6%
M288253819,37320,4301,0575.5%
M291771,34411,56311,9493863.3%
M32281,7662,9883,1041163.9%
M303523113,11314,7321,61912.3%
M311981,5043,0193,2902719.0%
M329669811,13412,0108767.9%
M332622,06651,66230,176-21,486-41.6%
M344126620,18721,6921,5057.5%
M351561,1538,1988,7145166.3%
M381239133,8784,57169317.9%
M41541,1331,9332,46653327.6%
M4099112,15614,4032,24718.5%
M4111183320,65721,4187613.7%
M431229119,2989,9926947.5%
M441521,0918,7039,2665636.5%
M452011,53610,07410,3262522.5%
M461711,3039,3459,7624174.5%
M5926643,8564,76390723.5%
M502321,8051,3521,438866.4%
M6784979,35410,4561,10211.8%
M7493156,9538,3391,38619.9%
M8251738,0249,8321,80822.5%
M91310710,95413,0782,12419.4%
M902541,928123120-3-2.4%
OL1633866,1537,4341,28120.8%
OL106138110,99112,2771,28611.7%
OL117444917,71018,8821,1726.6%
OL123422518,87720,5161,6398.7%
OL131319716,8997,5446459.3%
OL151871,4397,0627,3803184.5%
OL162115713,51515,3941,87913.9%
OL21801,37019,01419,3823681.9%
OL31631,2188,4008,8674675.6%
OL42416916,32218,1471,82511.2%
OL51761,3384,9555,3453907.9%
OL69062010,25311,2039509.3%
OL71349945,8746,50663210.8%
OL8109211,19813,4452,24720.1%
OL96740014,46415,7281,2648.7%
PR11813722,66424,6171,9538.6%
PR22820435,39937,1031,7044.8%
PR254026414,99516,5051,51010.1%
PR261961,5007,4317,7052743.7%
PR33624822,44423,9901,5466.9%
PR467134,64437,0532,4097.0%
PR511285020,84121,5887473.6%
PR68354018,39219,4421,0505.7%
PR744929,96032,6882,7289.1%
PR85433825,84827,1961,3485.2%
PR98655020,03621,0711,0355.2%
SK11881,4514,8475,1543076.3%
SK1013096622,54823,1966482.9%
SK111361,00618,99419,6186243.3%
SK122291,79411,83211,925930.8%
SK141512619,49521,5072,01210.3%
SK1511788712,40713,1297225.8%
SK161851,4358,5438,8623193.7%
SK21661,24514,06714,5234563.2%
SK312592511,14411,8276836.1%
SK41901,46617,57117,8692981.7%
SK58052010,60111,6771,07610.1%
SK610478526,72627,5268003.0%
SK72301,79623,57223,663910.4%
SK81491,08432,95333,5265731.7%
SK91601,18522,20022,6954952.2%
SY141621,2053,9284,40447612.1%
WA18759610,77711,7499729.0%
WA104528116,78518,2631,4788.8%
WA1111990020,17920,8867073.5%
WA127041410,03411,2731,23912.3%
WA132261,7587,9128,0381261.6%
WA142171,70015,55415,7151611.0%
WA152181,70122,95423,1151610.7%
WA162061,59015,45215,6752231.4%
WA24327417,16318,6571,4948.7%
WA312491524,83625,5276912.8%
WA42920525,92127,6241,7036.6%
WA53020930,85832,5521,6945.5%
WA61721,30511,60712,0234163.6%
WA72216327,01328,8721,8596.9%
WA81210430,41332,5532,1407.0%
WA91914819,12521,0331,90810.0%
WN11481,0818,1348,7095757.1%
WN25133223,66925,0271,3585.7%
WN38454513,93614,9791,0437.5%
WN41591,18214,08414,5804963.5%
WN55233518,97420,3311,3577.2%
WN67951020,00721,0921,0855.4%
WN75032619,71821,0851,3676.9%
WN86639819,67120,9391,2686.4%

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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