Germany Divided

Everyday life

Cars

Passenger cars per 1,000 inhabitants, 1.1.2026

On 1 January 2026 there were 611 cars per 1,000 people in the former West and 564 in the East. Berlin, with 332, has the fewest of any state.

< 473 per 1,000473 per 1,000525 per 1,000578 per 1,000630 per 1,000≥ 682 per 1,000

Inner-German border 1949–1990 ·401 districts · 1.1.2026

Former West

611 per 1,000

excl. Berlin

Former East

564 per 1,000

excl. Berlin

Berlin

332 per 1,000

Germany

591 per 1,000

The East stands at 92% of the West's level (1.1.2026).

By state

Former WestFormer EastBerlin
  1. Saarland646 per 1,000
  2. Rheinland-Pfalz643 per 1,000
  3. Bayern639 per 1,000
  4. Niedersachsen625 per 1,000
  5. Hessen624 per 1,000
  6. Baden-Württemberg621 per 1,000
  7. Schleswig-Holstein594 per 1,000
  8. Nordrhein-Westfalen591 per 1,000
  9. Brandenburg587 per 1,000
  10. Sachsen-Anhalt573 per 1,000
  11. Mecklenburg-Vorpommern566 per 1,000
  12. Thüringen566 per 1,000
  13. Sachsen542 per 1,000
  14. Hamburg433 per 1,000
  15. Bremen428 per 1,000
  16. Berlin332 per 1,000

1.1.2026

Notes & caveats

  • East, West and state figures are our calculation from district values; inhabitants are derived from KBA's published car density, so aggregates may differ from official population-based rates by about 0.1%.
  • KBA registers Trier and Trier-Saarburg as one district, shown with the same value. Hanau (a separate district since 1 January 2026) is combined with Main-Kinzig-Kreis because KBA has no population base for it yet.
  • Cars are counted where they are registered; company fleets registered at a head office raise the figure for some districts (e.g. Wolfsburg, Ingolstadt).
Show the table
StateSide1.1.2026
Saarlandwest646 per 1,000
Berlinberlin332 per 1,000
Brandenburgeast587 per 1,000
Mecklenburg-Vorpommerneast566 per 1,000
Sachseneast542 per 1,000
Sachsen-Anhalteast573 per 1,000
Thüringeneast566 per 1,000
Schleswig-Holsteinwest594 per 1,000
Hamburgwest433 per 1,000
Niedersachsenwest625 per 1,000
Bremenwest428 per 1,000
Nordrhein-Westfalenwest591 per 1,000
Hessenwest624 per 1,000
Rheinland-Pfalzwest643 per 1,000
Baden-Württembergwest621 per 1,000
Bayernwest639 per 1,000