Electric Car Sales by Country: Who Leads the EV Transition in 2026?

More than 20 million electric cars were sold worldwide in 2025, about one in four new cars, according to the International Energy Agency's Global EV Outlook 2026. China is by far the largest market, with more than 13 million sales and almost 55% of its new cars being electric. Norway leads in market share, with about 97% of new cars electric, while Europe overall reached 28% and the United States around 10%.

Here is a country-by-country look at where electric cars are taking off, where growth is slowing and what the IEA expects for 2026. In these figures, "electric cars" include both battery electric cars (BEVs) and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) – see our guide to BEV vs PHEV vs HEV for the difference.

Global electric car sales in 2025

• Worldwide: over 20 million electric cars sold, up 20% on 2024 – a 25% share of new car sales.
• Chinese carmakers supplied about 60% of all electric cars sold globally.
• Electric cars on the road displaced about 1.7 million barrels of oil per day.

The biggest markets

Source: IEA, Global EV Outlook 2026. Figures include BEVs and PHEVs.

China: the world's largest EV market

China accounts for well over half of all electric cars sold worldwide. In 2025, almost 55% of new cars sold there were electric, and the monthly share passed 60% in April 2026. Growth slowed somewhat in 2025, partly because of a pause in the government's trade-in scheme, and from 2026 the purchase tax exemption for new energy vehicles has been halved. Chinese brands such as BYD, Geely and others are also expanding fast overseas.

Europe: steady growth to 28%

Electric car sales in Europe grew by more than 30% in 2025 to 4.2 million, reaching a 28% market share.

• Norway remains the world leader, with about 97% of new cars electric. Its generous tax breaks are being reduced: from 2026, the purchase tax exemption applies only to cars priced up to NOK 300,000, and it is due to end in 2028.
• Germany, Europe's largest car market, sold 850,000 electric cars – about 30% of sales – and reintroduced purchase subsidies in 2026 with a €3 billion budget.
• The UK sold nearly 500,000 battery electric cars, 23% of the market; including plug-in hybrids, more than one in three new cars was electric.

United States: around 10%

About 1.5 million electric cars were sold in the U.S. in 2025, just under 10% of the market. Sales fell toward the end of the year after the federal EV tax credit ended for vehicles acquired after September 30, 2025, while hybrids reached record sales. Read about the cost picture in electric vs gas cars: which is cheaper.

Fast-growing emerging markets

Some of the strongest growth is now outside the traditional leaders, often driven by affordable models from Chinese carmakers:

• Vietnam: sales more than doubled, reaching nearly 40% of new cars.
• Thailand: about 140,000 electric cars, nearly a quarter of the market.
• Türkiye: nearly 240,000 electric cars, over 20% of new car sales.
• Indonesia: sales more than doubled to a 15% share.
• Brazil: 180,000 electric cars, a 9% share.
• Mexico: sales tripled to more than 7%, although new tariffs of 50% on cars from countries without trade agreements, including China, took effect in January 2026.
• India: 165,000 electric cars, nearly 4% – still small, but growing.

Overall, Southeast Asia's electric car sales more than doubled to a share of nearly 20%, and Latin America grew by 75%.

What to expect in 2026

The IEA expects global electric car sales to reach about 23 million in 2026, or 28% of new cars, even after a weaker first quarter (about 3.9 million sales, down 8% year on year, mainly because of China and the U.S.).

• China is expected to approach a 60% share.
• Europe is projected to grow about 20%, with roughly one in three new cars electric.
• Asia Pacific outside China could grow by more than 50%, and Latin America by about 45%.

Higher oil prices in 2026 have also increased the fuel savings from driving electric. Based on April 2026 oil prices, the IEA estimates that annual fuel savings from driving an EV in the EU rose 35% compared with 2025.

Why some countries adopt EVs faster

• Incentives and taxes: Norway's tax exemptions made EVs cheaper than gas cars for years.
• Affordable models: a wide choice of lower-priced EVs, many from Chinese brands, drives growth in emerging markets.
• Fuel prices: expensive gasoline and diesel make the savings from electric driving bigger.
• Charging infrastructure: easy home and public charging builds confidence. Learn about charging connectors around the world.
• Trade policy: tariffs on imported EVs can slow adoption by raising prices.

Frequently asked questions

Which country sells the most electric cars?

China, by a wide margin: more than 13 million electric cars in 2025, well over half of the global total.

Which country has the highest share of electric cars?

Norway, where about 97% of new cars sold in 2025 were electric.

How many electric cars were sold in 2025?

More than 20 million worldwide, according to the IEA – about 25% of all new cars.

What share of new cars in the U.S. are electric?

Around 10% in 2025, including plug-in hybrids. Battery electric cars alone were about 6% of U.S. light-duty sales in the second quarter of 2026, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Do these figures include hybrids?

They include plug-in hybrids but not regular hybrids that cannot be plugged in.

The bottom line

Electric cars made up one in four new cars sold worldwide in 2025. China dominates in volume, Norway leads in share, Europe is climbing steadily toward one in three, and the U.S. sits around 10%. The fastest growth is now in emerging markets such as Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia and Türkiye. With the IEA forecasting 23 million sales in 2026, the shift to electric is still gaining speed – just at different speeds in different places.