Car registrations increased by over 19% year-on-year in the first half of 2016 in Romania, to 175,317, according to data from the National Statistics Institute (INS). However, nearly eight in ten cars registered in Romania are second hand, reports local News.ro.

More than half of the car registrations reported for the first six months were recorded in the second quarter of the year, namely 92,295 units. The number was 13.8% higher than the one registered in the second quarter of 2015.

The INS data include registrations of both new and used cars, without any details on their shares in the total. However, according to previous data published by the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA), new car registrations increased by 2.8% in Romania in the first six months, to 35,452 units. On the other hand, the market of imported used cars had the best semester in seven years. Their number went over 135,700, up 21% year-on-year, according to data published by local Autovit.ro.

Thus, according to data from these two sources, 77% of the cars registered in Romania in the first half of the year were second-hand cars purchased from abroad, reports local News.ro.

There were about 5.15 million cars at the end of 2015 in Romania, up 5% over the same period in 2014. Bucharest had over 950,000 cars at the end of last year.

Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com