The second-hand car market was quieter in October than last year, with a 2.8% decline to 65,351 units. In October 2024, 67,201 used cars were registered, 4,203 more than in October 2023.
The used car market continues to perform well, with 621,316 used cars registered over the past 10 months, an increase of 0.5% compared to the very successful year 2024.
Now we have to wait and see what will happen over the next two months. It’s clear that customer confidence has taken a hit, and pre-auto show promotions could also affect the second-hand market. On the other hand, we do expect additional movement due to the tightening of the Brussels Low-Emission Zone.
Two in three are used cars
This further growth means the share of used cars in total registrations of new and used vehicles continues to increase: from 58.4% in the first nine months of 2023 to 63.5% in 2025.
This means that almost 2 out of 3 cars registered in Belgium are used vehicles. The sector expects used-car registrations to continue rising slightly in the coming years.
The gasoline engine (55.8%) still dominates the second-hand market, while diesel (26.4%) continues to lose ground. The inflow of diesels into the second-hand market will also continue to decline, as hardly any new diesels are being registered. Although the share of hybrid (13%) and electric cars (4.3%) is increasing slightly, their share remains limited.
22% of used cars are over 15 years old
We also see that second-hand cars are getting older – more than 22% are over 15 years old, which is a bad thing for the age of the vehicle fleet and the drive for lower emissions. The average age of used cars has further increased to 9 years and 10 months. The median age is now 7 years and 9 months.
Volkswagen and BMW remain the most popular brands among used cars, followed by Mercedes, Peugeot, and Opel. Most popular models remain the VW Golf (24.650), the VW Polo (18.019), the Opel Corsa (15.763), the BMW 3 Series (13.755), and the BMW 1 Series (12.573).
Flanders dominates the second-hand market
The second-hand market remains primarily a private activity, though start-ups are increasingly opting for second-hand or used hybrid cars.
Flanders continues to dominate the market for used passenger car registrations, with a 55.0% share. Wallonia’s market share is 37.1%, while Brussels’ share is 7.9%.
New car market
New car registrations were much lower (-6.8%) in October; since January, the market has fallen by -9.0%. Private customers remain cautious due to higher prices and an uncertain tax climate, among others. As a result, more and more people are buying used cars: it’s a cheaper solution that also limits the financial risk in this uncertain tax and regulatory climate.
The proportions are clearly different for new registrations. Hybrid and electric vehicles will account for the majority of sales, with the share of fully electric cars even rising to 36.4% in 2025.
