China's car sales surpass Japan, ranking first globally

Based on new car sales in 2025, Chinese automakers will for the first time surpass global sales, taking the top spot, while Japanese cars, which have held the position for over 20 years, drop to second place. China’s automobile exports have already become the largest, establishing its status as a major auto country. To counter the price competitiveness of Chinese companies, countries will set up barriers in tariffs and new standards. Global tensions are intensifying, and protectionist measures to safeguard domestic companies may strengthen.

The Nihon Keizai Shimbun analyzed data from companies released between January and November 2025, along with S&P Global Mobility data. Sales figures include commercial vehicles. They cover sales in the domestic market and overseas markets such as exports. The country classification is based on the proportion of investment; in cases where investments are equal, the manufacturer’s country of origin is used for classification.

China’s global vehicle sales are expected to increase by 17% year-on-year, reaching approximately 27 million units. China ranked first in vehicle exports for the first time in 2023. Overall sales are also projected to surpass all others by 2025.

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Japan Economic News and the Financial Times merged in November 2015 to form the same media group. This alliance, formed by two newspapers from Japan and the UK founded in the 19th century, is promoting broad collaboration in areas such as special features under the banner of “high-quality, the strongest economic news.” As part of this effort, articles are exchanged between the two newspapers’ Chinese websites.