Compared to the year 2005 car purchases on a value basis increased by 6.1% in Germany in 2006. According to the Federal Statistical Office this increase is one of the strongest in the past decade. The increase is due to more purchases by private households (+ 8.5%). Purchases by companies, however, fell by 1.2%.
The increase on the part of private households is the strongest since the year 1996. In total private households spent more than 66.3 billion Euros on the purchase of new and second-hand cars in 2006 which corresponds to 4.5% of their discretionary income.
As opposed to the increased car spending by private households investments by companies in cars fell for the first time since 2002 and reached 20.0 billion Euros. This investment figure is calculated using the figures provided by company with regard to car expenditure less revenues generated by the sale of second-hand company cars. 