The number of vehicles in the United States grew at a faster rate than both the population and the number of licensed drivers between 1960 and 2021.
August 28, 2023
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The number of vehicles in the United States grew at a faster rate than both the population and the number of licensed drivers between 1960 and 2021. The number of vehicles in 2021 was 4.3 times that of 1960 while the population was 1.8 times higher and the licensed drivers were 2.7 times higher. By 2021 there were 0.88 vehicles per capita.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, National Population by Characteristics: 2020-2022, Population Estimates by Age: July 1, 2022, accessed June 20, 2023. U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Highway Statistics 2021, Table DL-1, and past editions. IHS Markit.