The guidance on this site is based on our own analysis and is meant to help you identify options and narrow down your choices. We do not advise or tell you which product to buy; undertake your own due diligence before entering into any agreement. Read our full disclosure here.

Car Licence Statistics in the South East of England

To find neighborhoods in the South East that are more crowded with vehicles now than they were five years ago, we analysed car licence statistics from the Department for Transport. Postcodes with more licenced cars not only suffer from greater congestion during peak times, but also may have a lack of parking spaces for residents. To see how the South East compares to other regions in England, see our article Roads Feel More Congested Than Ever? Worst Postcodes Revealed.

In the past five years, the number of cars in the South East increased from 5,229,347 to 5,420,500. That means there are an extra 191,153 cars on the road now, which is 3.7% more than 5 years earlier.

Car Licence Stats for the South East
Cars in Q3 20185,229,347
Cars in Q3 20235,420,500
Change191,153
% Change3.7%

Areas of the South East with Significantly More Cars

In the South East, the area with the largest increase in number of cars in the past five years is Windsor and Maidenhead, where the number of cars more than doubled, growing from 85,817 in Q3 2019 to 176,689 in Q3 2023—an increase of 105.9%.

Offsetting this, Milton Keynes has 8.3% fewer cars now, a drop of 28,425 vehicles in five years.

  • Biggest numeric increase in cars: Windsor and Maidenhead (up 90,872)
  • Biggest percentage increase in cars: Windsor and Maidenhead (up 105.9%)
  • Biggest number drop in cars: Milton Keynes (down 28,425)
  • Biggest percentage drop in cars: Milton Keynes (down 8.3%)

Car Licence Stats for South East, England

Below is car licence data for the South East of England, with the number of licenced cars in Q3 2023 and the absolute and percentage changes over the previous five-year time period. Look up your area to see how it compares to the rest of the region.

Chart showing the  change in licenced cars in the South East
Chart showing the change in licenced cars in the South East
Area in South East, EnglandNumber of Licenced Cars (2023 Q3)5 year change% change 5 years
Bracknell Forest82,422-4,189-4.8%
Brighton and Hove92,769-2,336-2.5%
Buckinghamshire322,3747,5342.4%
Isle of Wight73,2341,4802.1%
Medway137,3114,2903.2%
Milton Keynes313,932-28,425-8.3%
Portsmouth113,8609,8689.5%
Reading67,1778021.2%
Slough171,413-3,329-1.9%
Southampton99,1101,9782.0%
West Berkshire94,543-7,403-7.3%
Windsor and Maidenhead176,68990,872105.9%
Wokingham102,7344,9545.1%
East Sussex292,6455,4321.9%
Eastbourne46,867-109-0.2%
Hastings39,2961610.4%
Lewes51,5231,0162.0%
Rother53,9587071.3%
Wealden100,9063,6333.7%
Hampshire897,31745,0665.3%
Basingstoke and Deane102,3183,8033.9%
East Hampshire79,0622,6163.4%
Eastleigh78,7594,6876.3%
Fareham66,439-191-0.3%
Gosport40,0579782.5%
Hart63,2522,8584.7%
Havant66,6381,2581.9%
New Forest109,5521020.1%
Rushmoor139,49923,12619.9%
Test Valley78,2331,5092.0%
Winchester72,6863,6225.2%
Kent827,96833,0014.2%
Ashford73,7883,7755.4%
Canterbury74,6712,9304.1%
Dartford56,5941,9273.5%
Dover60,0712,7084.7%
Folkestone and Hythe56,9641,6333.0%
Gravesham52,3241,6723.3%
Maidstone98,0045,7546.2%
Sevenoaks70,9121,4442.1%
Swale78,8023,8705.2%
Thanet66,4082,6484.2%
Tonbridge and Malling75,5822,1462.9%
Tunbridge Wells63,0821,9333.2%
Oxfordshire385,4525,7831.5%
Cherwell100,177-7,118-6.6%
Oxford48,793170.0%
South Oxfordshire88,4673,8604.6%
Vale of White Horse79,9955,2217.0%
West Oxfordshire67,8863,7315.8%
South East5,420,500191,1533.7%

Car Licence Stats for All Regions in England

If you'd like to see the details for other regions near you, here are the studies for other regions in England:

Comments

The guidance on this site is based on our own analysis and is meant to help you identify options and narrow down your choices. We do not advise or tell you which product to buy; undertake your own due diligence before entering into any agreement. Read our full disclosure here.

Car Insurance

  • You could save up to £530*
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars**
  • Quotes from 100+ providers



Motor Insurance Reviews

NimbleFins Newsletter

Get deals, tips, news, and more!