US Light Vehicle Sales 16.3M for
US Light Vehicle Sales came in at 16.3M for Jul 2026, down 1.41% from 16.6M the prior month and 1.51% below its level of 16.6M one year ago. The series has averaged 14.9M since 1976, reaching a record high of 21.7M in October 2001 and a record low of 8.571M in April 2020.
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<iframe src="https://marketxls.com/embed/indicators/us-auto-sales" width="100%" height="460" frameborder="0" title="US Light Vehicle Sales chart"></iframe><p style="font:12px/1.4 sans-serif;margin:4px 0 0"><a href="https://marketxls.com/indicators/us-auto-sales" rel="nofollow">US Light Vehicle Sales chart - MarketXLS</a></p>Historical Data
⋮ | ⋮ |
|---|---|
| July 1, 2026 | 16.3M |
| June 1, 2026 | 16.6M |
| May 1, 2026 | 16.3M |
| April 1, 2026 | 16.3M |
| March 1, 2026 | 16.3M |
| February 1, 2026 | 15.5M |
| January 1, 2026 | 14.6M |
| December 1, 2025 | 16M |
| November 1, 2025 | 15.7M |
| October 1, 2025 | 15.5M |
| September 1, 2025 | 16.6M |
| August 1, 2025 | 16.5M |
| July 1, 2025 | 16.6M |
| June 1, 2025 | 15.8M |
| May 1, 2025 | 15.6M |
| April 1, 2025 | 17.1M |
| March 1, 2025 | 17.9M |
| February 1, 2025 | 16M |
| January 1, 2025 | 15.5M |
| December 1, 2024 | 16.8M |
⋮ | ⋮ |
|---|---|
| April 1, 2001 | 16.5M |
| March 1, 2001 | 16.9M |
| February 1, 2001 | 17.4M |
| January 1, 2001 | 17.3M |
| December 1, 2000 | 15.8M |
| November 1, 2000 | 16.3M |
| October 1, 2000 | 17.1M |
| September 1, 2000 | 18.2M |
| August 1, 2000 | 17.1M |
| July 1, 2000 | 16.9M |
| June 1, 2000 | 17.1M |
| May 1, 2000 | 17.5M |
| April 1, 2000 | 17.4M |
| March 1, 2000 | 17.8M |
| February 1, 2000 | 18.9M |
| January 1, 2000 | 18.1M |
| December 1, 1999 | 17.8M |
| November 1, 1999 | 17.1M |
| October 1, 1999 | 17.1M |
| September 1, 1999 | 17.1M |
About US Light Vehicle Sales
What it measures
Light Weight Vehicle Sales (FRED series ALTSALES) measures total US sales of new cars and light trucks, including SUVs and pickups, expressed as a seasonally adjusted annual rate in millions of units. The Bureau of Economic Analysis compiles it monthly from manufacturer unit-sales reports, and the annualized presentation shows what the full-year pace would be if the month repeated twelve times.
Why it matters
A vehicle is the largest purchase most households make besides a home, and it is typically financed, so the sales pace jointly reflects consumer confidence, income expectations, and credit conditions. The auto sector pulls a long supply chain of steel, semiconductors, dealers, and lenders. Because purchases are easily postponed, vehicle sales are an early casualty of rising rates or economic anxiety, giving the series leading-indicator value.
How to read it
A pace in the high teens of millions of units has historically marked a healthy market, with recessionary troughs falling well below that. Separate demand weakness from supply constraint: sales can drop with lean dealer inventories and strong pricing, a shortage signature rather than a demand signal. Incentive levels and fleet purchases also move monthly figures, so confirm trends over several months.
Get US Light Vehicle Sales in Excel
Pull US Light Vehicle Sales directly into your spreadsheet with a single MarketXLS formula - always current, no copy-pasting:
=VehicleSalesLightWeight()View the Vehicle Sales - Light Weight formula documentation or browse all 100+ Economic Data functions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the current US Light Vehicle Sales?
US Light Vehicle Sales is 16.3M as of July 2026.
What is the all-time high and low of US Light Vehicle Sales?
The highest value on record is 21.7M (October 2001) and the lowest is 8.571M (April 2020).
How often is US Light Vehicle Sales updated?
US Light Vehicle Sales is published on a monthly basis, sourced from Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED).
How do I get US Light Vehicle Sales in Excel?
Use the MarketXLS Excel formula =VehicleSalesLightWeight() to pull US Light Vehicle Sales directly into any cell, with historical values available for analysis.
Stats
| Last Value | 16.3M |
| Latest Period | Jul 2026 |
| Last Updated | August 7 2026, 01:19 |
| Value Previous Month | 16.6M |
| Change From Previous Month | -1.41% |
| Value 1 Year Ago | 16.6M |
| Change From Year Ago | -1.51% |
| Average Growth Rate | 0.53%/yr |
| Record High (Oct 2001) | 21.7M |
| Record Low (Apr 2020) | 8.571M |
| Long-Term Average | 14.9M |
| Frequency | Monthly |
| Adjustment | Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate |
| Unit | Millions of Units |
Annual Averages
| 2026 | 16M |
| 2025 | 16.2M |
| 2024 | 15.9M |
| 2023 | 15.5M |
| 2022 | 13.8M |
| 2021 | 15M |
| 2020 | 14.5M |
| 2019 | 17M |
| 2018 | 17.2M |
| 2017 | 17.2M |
| 2016 | 17.5M |
| 2015 | 17.4M |
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