In January 2025, 63,008 second-hand cars were registered, 1,100 units more than in January 2024 and 5,873 units more than in January 2023. According to Filip Rylant, spokesperson for mobility federation Traxio, this indicates a continued growth trend thanks to a gradual price decline and abundant supply.
The total figure for January 2023 was 57,135 units, and for January 2024, it was 61,908. That is a growth of 1.8% between 2024 and 2025 and even 10.3% between 2023 and 2025.
VW and BMW most popular brands
Volkswagen and BMW dominated used car sales in January 2025. Mercedes completed the top five, ahead of Peugeot and Opel. The VW Golf (2,521) remains in first place, ahead of the VW Polo (1,891), the Opel Corsa (1,638), the BMW 3 Series (1,327), and the BMW 1 Series (1,308).
Gasoline engines still dominate the used car market, with a 55.3% share, while diesel is losing ground to 27.8%. The share of second-hand cars with a hybrid or electric drive is increasing but remains modest. Almost 16.5% is electrified: 12.5% hybrid and 4% fully electric.
Second-hand fleet is aging
In January 2025, the median age of used car registrations exceeded eight years for the first time, indicating a further aging of the vehicle fleet. Of the registered used cars, 27% are between five and nine years old, while 34% are less than five years old, the latter being a decrease of 2% compared to last year.
The second-hand market remains mainly a private business: 90% of registrations were made by private individuals. However, starting companies more often opt for second-hand cars and are usually interested in second-hand hybrid cars.
Flanders continues to dominate the market for registrations of second-hand passenger cars, with a share of 57%. Wallonia’s market share is 36%, while Brussels drops to 7%.
New car market
New car registrations in January 2025 amounted to 40,594 units, a decrease of -13% compared to January 2024 (46,668) but still higher than in 2023 (+3.1%) and 2022 (+18.5%), confirming a positive long-term trend.
Furthermore, the recent Brussels Motor Show and the associated commercial campaigns led to positive dynamics, both in selling new and second-hand cars.
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