Vehicle licensing statistics data files
Detailed information about vehicles in the UK, which would be too large to use as structured tables. They are provided as simple CSV text files.
The following datafiles contain detailed information about vehicles in the UK, which would be too large to use as structured tables. They are provided as simple CSV text files that should be easier to use digitally.
Data tables containing aggregated information about vehicles in the UK are also available.
We welcome any feedback on the structure of our new datafiles, their usability, or any suggestions for improvements, please contact vehicles statistics.
How to use CSV files
CSV files can be used either as a spreadsheet (using Microsoft Excel or similar spreadsheet packages) or digitally using software packages and languages (for example, R or Python).
When using as a spreadsheet, there will be no formatting, but the file can still be explored like our publication tables. Due to their size, older software might not be able to open the entire file.
Download data files
Make and model by quarter
df_VEH0120_GB:
Scope: All registered vehicles in Great Britain; from 1994 Quarter 4 (end December)
Schema: BodyType, Make, GenModel, Model, LicenceStatus, [number of vehicles; one column per quarter]
df_VEH0120_UK:
Scope: All registered vehicles in the United Kingdom; from 2014 Quarter 3 (end September)
Schema: BodyType, Make, GenModel, Model, LicenceStatus, [number of vehicles; one column per quarter]
df_VEH0160_GB:
Scope: All vehicles registered for the first time in Great Britain; from 2001 Quarter 1 (January to March)
Schema: BodyType, Make, GenModel, Model, [number of vehicles; one column per quarter]
df_VEH0160_UK:
Scope: All vehicles registered for the first time in the United Kingdom; from 2014 Quarter 3 (July to September)
Schema: BodyType, Make, GenModel, Model, [number of vehicles; one column per quarter]
Make and model by age
df_VEH0124:
Scope: All licensed vehicles in the United Kingdom; 2021 Quarter 4 (end December) only
Schema: BodyType, Make, GenModel, Model, YearFirstUsed, YearManufacture, Licensed (number of vehicles), SORN (number of vehicles)
Make and model by engine size
df_VEH0220:
Scope: All licensed vehicles in the United Kingdom; 2021 Quarter 4 (end December) only
Schema: BodyType, Make, GenModel, Model, Fuel, EngineSizeSimple, EngineSizeDesc, Licensed (number of vehicles), SORN (number of vehicles)
df_VEH0270:
Scope: All vehicles registered for the first time in the United Kingdom; 2021 only
Schema: BodyType, Make, GenModel, Model, Fuel, EngineSizeSimple, EngineSizeDesc, Number
Vehicles by small geography
df_VEH0125:
Scope: All licensed vehicles in the United Kingdom; Great Britain from 2009 Quarter 4 (end December); and United Kingdom from 2014 Quarter 3 (end September)
Schema: LSOA11CD, BodyType, LicenceStatus, (number of vehicles; one column per quarter)
df_VEH0135:
Scope: All licensed vehicles in the United Kingdom; from 2011 Quarter 4 (end December)
Schema: LSOA11CD, Fuel, [number of vehicles; one column per quarter]
df_VEH0145:
Scope: All licensed vehicles in the United Kingdom; from 2011 Quarter 4 (end December)
Schema: LSOA11CD, Fuel, [number of vehicles; one column per quarter]
Variables
The same variables are used across the datafiles to maintain consistency and ease of use.
Table 1: Metadata for variables within VEH datafiles
| Name | Type | Size | Example value | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BodyType | String | 17 | Cars | The 6 main body type categories used throughout the VEH series |
| Make | String | 50 [note 1] | MINI | Vehicle make derived from make model codes |
| GenModel | String | 50 [note 1] | MINI COUNTRYMAN | Grouping of model variants to help compare models in the market |
| Model | String | 50 [note 1] | COUNTRYMAN COOPER D ALL4 | Detailed vehicle model derived from make model codes |
| LicenceStatus | String | 8 | Licensed | Indicates whether the vehicle was licensed or with a SORN at the end of the quarter (sometimes provided as two columns instead) |
| YearFirstUsed | Int | - | 2019 | Year of first registration if registered as new, otherwise not available |
| YearManufacture | Int | - | 2016 | Year of manufacture, usually very similar to YearFirstUsed but not always available |
| Fuel | String | 32 | Plug-in hybrid electric (Petrol) | Fuel type of the vehicle (groupings within datafiles can vary) |
| EngineSizeSimple | Int | - | 1400 | Simplification of the engine size group EngineSizeDesc, showing the maximum value (useful for sorting) |
| EngineSizeDesc | String | 18 | 1301cc to 1400cc | Grouping of engine sizes, usually in bands of 100cc, with exceptions for motorcycles |
| LSOA11CD | String | 15 | E01000001 | ONS lower super output areas (LSOA) from the 2011 Census for England and Wales, national equivalents for Scotland and Northern Ireland |
Note 1: Model information is subject to change with subsequent updates but can reasonably be expected to be under 50 characters
Symbols can appear in nearly all datafile variables, including integer valued ones, and are the same as those found in publication tables.
Table 2: Symbols used within VEH datafiles
| Symbol | Type |
|---|---|
| [c] | Confidential |
| [x] | Not available |
| [z] | Not applicable |
Notes
The units used in datafiles are always a number of vehicles.
The majority of variables reported are recorded by DVLA for administrative purposes only and any errors can take time to be resolved, especially if they do not impact the taxation or keepership of the vehicle. Common inconsistencies include:
- model and fuel information
- fuel and engine size
Due to the encoding system used for makes and models, data can be missing for a variety of reasons. These include:
- imported vehicles not usually sold in the UK
- older vehicles manufactured before 1972
- rare versions of models
- new vehicles when the code lookup has not yet been updated
Engine sizes are often reported slightly lower than the colloquial value for a vehicle, for example a car with a 1.4 litre engine might have a reported engine size of 1398cc (cubic capacity).
Vehicles are allocated to a lower super output area (LSOA) according to the postcode of the registered keeper. This is the keeper’s address for privately-kept vehicles or the company’s registered address for company-kept vehicles. The address does not necessarily reflect where the vehicle is located. This is especially true for large fleets kept by companies involved with vehicle management, leasing or rentals. Significant changes in the number of vehicles from year to year can often occur when these companies change their registered address.
Other vehicles in BodyType refers to all vehicles not included in the other 5 categories, including rear diggers, lift trucks, rollers, ambulances, Hackney Carriages, 3 wheelers, tricycles and agricultural vehicles.
Miscellaneous in LSOA11CD refers to vehicles between keepers, registered at invalid postcodes, or within a lower super output area (LSOA) that has fewer than 5 individual vehicles in total.
Further information can be found in the notes and definitions.
Contact us
Vehicles statistics