Car Exports: China vs Japan 2025 (Latest Data & Historical Trends)
China overtook Japan as the world's largest automobile exporter in 2023, ending decades of Japanese dominance. By 2024, China exported over 5.5 million vehicles compared to Japan's approximately 4.4 million — a historic reversal driven primarily by the electric vehicle boom. This dataset compares annual automobile export volumes for China and Japan from 2015 to 2025, sourced from JAMA, CAAM, and customs data.
Quick Answer
China exported 1.53 million vehicles in Jan-Feb 2026, worth $27 billion USD, a 67% year-over-year increase. China overtook Japan as the world's largest car exporter in 2023. Japan exported 1.2 million vehicles in the same period. Data from China Customs and JAMA covers 2015-2025.
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Car Exports: China vs Japan
Data Table
11 data points| Year | China | Japan |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 75 | 465 |
| 2016 | 78 | 470 |
| 2017 | 89 | 478 |
| 2018 | 104 | 482 |
| 2019 | 102 | 479 |
| 2020 | 99 | 374 |
| 2021 | 201 | 382 |
| 2022 | 311 | 381 |
| 2023 | 491 | 442 |
| 2024 | 580 | 450 |
| 2025 | 650 | 460 |
About This Dataset
China overtook Japan as the world's largest automobile exporter in 2023, ending decades of Japanese dominance. By 2024, China exported over 5.5 million vehicles compared to Japan's approximately 4.4 million — a historic reversal driven primarily by the electric vehicle boom. This dataset compares annual automobile export volumes for China and Japan from 2015 to 2025, sourced from JAMA, CAAM, and customs data.
The latest row (2025) reports China: 650 10,000 units and japan: 460 10,000 units. The dataset spans 11 data points from 2015 to 2025, updated yearly.
API
curl https://chinadata.live/api/v2/data/car-exports-china-japan 📚 How to Cite This Data
Citation Format:
China Data Portal (2026). Car Exports: China vs Japan. Retrieved from https://chinadata.live/data/car-exports-china-japan/
Primary Source:
JAMA (Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association)CAAM (China Association of Automobile Manufacturers)Customs data
Last Updated:
2026-07-17T17:43:18.283Z
API Access:
GET https://chinadata.live/api/v2/data/car-exports-china-japan Frequently Asked Questions
When did China become the world's largest car exporter?
China surpassed Japan as the world's largest automobile exporter in 2023, shipping approximately 4.9 million vehicles compared to Japan's 4.4 million. This was a historic milestone — Japan had held the top position for decades. By 2024, China extended its lead to over 5.5 million vehicles exported.
Why is China exporting so many cars?
China's car export boom is driven primarily by electric vehicles (EVs). Chinese brands like BYD, MG (SAIC), and Chery offer EVs at significantly lower price points than Western or Japanese competitors. Competitive manufacturing costs, massive battery supply chain dominance (CATL, BYD), and government export incentives have all contributed.
What types of cars does China export?
China exports both passenger cars and commercial vehicles. The fastest-growing segment is new energy vehicles (NEVs), which include battery electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles. In 2024, NEVs accounted for over 25% of China's total vehicle exports. Top destinations include Russia, Europe, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East.
How does this data compare to Japan?
Japan's vehicle exports have remained relatively stable at 3.8–4.5 million units per year over the past decade, while China's exports surged from under 1 million in 2020 to over 5.5 million in 2024. Japan's traditional export strength is in established brands (Toyota, Honda, Nissan), while China's growth is concentrated in newer EV-focused brands.
What is the data source?
Data comes from JAMA (Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association) for Japan and CAAM (China Association of Automobile Manufacturers) plus Chinese customs statistics for China. Both are recognized as the official industry data sources in their respective countries.