Chinese Automakers Outsell Japanese Globally for First Time; BYD Tops All-Electric Sales

In 2025, Chinese automakers achieved a historic breakthrough in the global automotive market, with annual sales reaching nearly 27 million vehicles—surpassing Japan’s approximately 25 million for the first time to become the world’s largest automobile producer and seller. This marks the first time since 2000 that Japan has lost its position as the global sales leader. Among the world’s top 20 automakers by sales volume, six are Chinese companies, outnumbering Japan’s five. BYD led the pack among Chinese automakers, selling 4.6 million vehicles in the year—a year-over-year increase of 8%—overtaking Ford to rank sixth globally and surpassing Tesla in pure electric vehicle (BEV) sales to become the world’s top BEV seller. Geely Automotive sold 4.11 million vehicles, up 23% year-on-year, moving ahead of Honda to claim the eighth spot. In contrast, apart from Toyota and Suzuki, most other major Japanese automakers saw declining sales, reflecting significant overall pressure on Japan’s automotive industry.