Sales of four-wheel automobiles in Southeast Asia decreased 2% in 2023, while sales of motorcycles and scooters rose 4%, according to Asean Automotive Federation data.
During the year, monthly sales were up year on year from January through July – except for a 19% decline in April – but fell each month from August onwards.
In 2023, total motor vehicle sales – including passenger vehicles and commercial vehicles – among seven Association of Southeast Asian Nations countries – declined to 3.36 million, compared to 3.43 million in 2022. The largest decrease of 53% occurred in the smallest market, Myanmar, where sales dropped from 7,068 to 3,357.
The second-largest decrease occurred in Vietnam, where reported sales dropped 25% to 301,989. Singapore’s sales decreased 9% to 36,670. Sales in the region’s largest market, Indonesia, decreased 5% to 1 million.
Malaysia’s sales jumped 11% to 799,731, while Thailand’s sales fell 9% to 775,780. The largest increase was reported in the Philippines, where sales surged 22% to 429,807.
Motorcycle sales increased to 12.72 million, compared to 12.27 million in 2022. As with four-wheel automobile sales, motorcycles and scooters sales surged during the January through July time frame, except for a 16% year-on-year drop in April. The largest sales increase was 51% to 889,451 in May, while sales were also up by more than 30% in January and February.