Market Trend and Outlook

Yemen’s light vehicle market in September 2023  grows for the 11th consecutive month, with new sales at 1,195 (+70.7%). YTD figures at 9,488 are up 70.7% from the previous year.

Looking at cumulative data up to September 2023 brand-wise, the leader Toyota reports a 20.4% growth in sales while holding 66.2% market share, followed by MG –up 7 spots- with 29.4% market share. Hyundai rises into 5th spot with an 156.3% boom in registrations.

Medium-Term Market Trend

The market collapsed in the past years. From the 14,696 vehicles sold in 2013, the industry dropped to only 3,025 in 2016, before showing a little recovery in 2017, mainly in the second half, with 3,938 units. In 2018 improved for the second consecutive year, ending with sales up 37.8% at 5,231 units.

In 2019, the market started improving at an outstanding pace. Indeed, the Full-year ended with registrations at 8,483, booming 62.2%.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic sales fell in  2020. In fact, 5,276 units have been sold, reporting a decline of 37.8% compared to 2019.

The collapse wasn’t due to structural problems in the market, in fact, it boomed 61.2% in 2021, reporting 8,507 new yearly sales. The market stabilized in 2022 with sales dropping merely 2.3% totaling 8,274 light vehicle registrations.

Market Trend and Outlook

Yemen’s light vehicle market in 2022 totaled 8,274 new sales, a 2.3% loss from the previous year. December grew for the second month in a row, with 223 new registrations (+236.8%).

Looking at cumulative data from 2022 brand-wise, the leader Toyota reports an 11.1% decrease in sales while holding 85.9% market share, followed by MG which holds 8.5% market share. Hyundai reported the best performance, gaining 94.9%.

Market Trend

The Yemeni car market this year attempted to recover from the pandemic crash of 2020 and reported a very promising performance all year, growing in very quickly in Q2, Q3 and Q4.

The market collapsed in the past years. From the 14,696 vehicles sold in 2013, the industry dropped to only 3,025 in 2016, before showing a little recovery in 2017, mainly in the second half, with 3,938 units. In 2018 improved for the second consecutive year, ending with sales up 37.8% at 5,231 units.

In 2019, the market started improving at an outstanding pace. Indeed, the Full-year ended with registrations at 8,483, booming 62.2%.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic sales fell in  2020. In fact, 5,276 units have been sold, reporting a decline of 37.8% compared to 2019.

In 2021 the year started positively for the Yemeni market, in fact, in Q1 1,975 units have been sold, reporting a 5.8% increase in sales compared to Q1 2020, while in Q2 growth accelerated, reporting a 73.1% increase in sales with 2,405 units due to the incredibly low sales volume registered in Q2 2020.

In Q3 sales rose 134.7% with 2,469 units sold, and in Q4 sales increased by 71.3% with 1,658 units sold.

Indeed, Full-Year sales for 2021 have been 8,507, reporting a 61.2% increase compared to 2020.

Brand-wise, this year the leader Toyota (+57.3%) lost 2.3% market share, at 94.4% market share, followed by Land Rover with 2.1% share, and Suzuki which gained 0.4% share, rising 161.1%. 

The most sold vehicle this year is the Toyota Hilux (+114.2%) with 3,700 units sold, followed by the Toyota Land Cruiser (+0.8%) registering 1.984 new sales this year. The Toyota Land Cruiser P/U (+191.7%) closes the podium and reports 1,485 new units sold.

Tables with sales figures

In the tables below we report sales for top 7 brands.

Market Trend

The Yemeni car market has been severely hit in 2020 by the world-wide COVID-19 pandemic and by social and political instability within the country.

The market collapsed in the past years. From the 14.696 vehicles sold in 2013, the industry dropped to only 3.025 in 2016, before showing a little recovery in 2017, mainly in the second half, with 3.938 units. In 2018 improved for the second consecutive year, ending with sales up 37.8% at 5.231 units.

In 2019, the market started improving at an outstanding pace. Indeed, the Full-year ended with registrations at 8.483, booming 62.2%.

After starting the year with a positive trend (+11.5%), unfortunately, January was the only positive month of the year. The market started falling severely in April (-33.2%), and dropped by 56.7% in May before recovering effectively in June (-1.8%). 

In the second half of the year the market did not recover, in fact, the situation got even worse and reached its lowest point in October (-81.3%). Every month reported a double-digit drop in sales.

Indeed, Full-Year sales for 2020 have been 5.276, reporting a decline of 37.8% compared to 2019.

Brand-wise, this year the leader Toyota (-36.8%) gained 2.2% market share, reaching an incredible 96.8% market share, followed by Hyundai (-8.7%), which gained 0.4% share, and Lexus which gained 0.1% share, falling 31.4%.  Suzuki on the other hand grew by 227.3%, gaining 0.6% share.

The most sold vehicle this year remains the Toyota Land Cruiser (-56.5%) with 1.968 units sold, followed by the Toyota Hilux (+1.1%) registering 1.727 new sales this year. The Toyota Land Cruiser P/U (-40.7%) closes the podium and reports 509 new units sold.

 Economic Environment

The government and southern separatists renewed their commitment to the Riyadh Agreement in January, which was signed by both parties late last year. The agreement is designed to end their power struggle in the country’s south, which involves the return of government officials to Aden and the placing of separatist forces under government control.

The terms of the deal are currently being implemented, although the slow pace of implementation is cause for concern. Less positively, in the west of Yemen, Houthi rebels recently banned the use of newly-printed government bank notes in areas under their control, holding up payments to tens of thousands of civil servants and pensioners while causing wide-ranging transaction problems.

Market Trend

Yemeni vehicles market collapsed in the past years. From the 14.696 vehicles sold in the 2013 the industry dropped to only 3.025 in the 2016, before to show a little recovery in the 2017, mainly in the second half, with 3.938 units. In 2018 improved for the second consecutive year, ending with sales up 37.8% at 5.231units.

In 2019, the market started kept improving with an outstanding pace. Indeed, the Full-year ended with registrations at 8.532, booming 63.1%.

Brand-wise, Toyota dominated with 95% of market share, selling 8.072 units, up 68.4% from the previous year.

Tables with sales figures

In the tables below we report sales for Top Brands

Economic Environment

The government and Houthi rebels agreed to a ceasefire in early December, brokered under the guidance of the UN. Both parties withdrew forces from the besieged port city of Hodeidah, which historically has brought most food and fuel supplies into Yemen and is currently a stronghold of the Houthi rebels. Another round of UN-backed talks is scheduled at the end of January, during which a framework for political negotiations is to be discussed.

This year the economy is expected to return to growth for the first time in six years, although this is primarily due to a miserably-low base effect.

Market Trend

Yemeni vehicles market collapsed in the past years. From the 14.696 vehicles sold in the 2013 the industry dropped to only 3.025 in the 2016, before to show a little recovery in the 2017, mainly in the second half, with 3.938 units.

In the 2018 has improved from the previous year. Indeed, this has been the second consecutive year of gain, ending with sales up 37.8%. The market has closed with registrations at 5.231.

Only sixth carmakers reported sales in the 2018 and Toyota holds 91.6% of market share with 4.794 sales.

Tables with sales figures

In the tables below we report sales for Top Brands

The crisis in Yemen has continued to intensify after reaching the 1000-day mark. Fighting in the capital Sana’a flared up in early December amid the death of former president Ali Abdullah Saleh at the hands of Houthi rebels.

Saleh, formerly a supporter of the Houthi cause, had recently declared his openness to peace talks with the Saudi-backed coalition. Over half the population is food insecure, and the total number of cholera cases reached around one million by the end of the year. Furthermore, over one million public salaries remained unpaid in November. In late December, Saudi Arabia began to allow commercial food and fuel imports at the Al Hudaydah port, loosening an earlier blockade that caused prices to spike.

Yemeni vehicles market collapsed in the last years. From the 14.696 vehicles sold in the 2013 the industry dropped to only 3.025 in the 2016, before to show a little recovery in the 2017, mainly in the second half, with 3.938 units.

Just 11 carmakers are still active in the market, while Toyota, thanks to 4 models (Hilux, Prado, Land Cruiser and Land Cruiser pick up) holds 78% of market share.

Tables with sales figures

In the tables below we report sales for Top Brands

Yemen’s critical economic and social situation doesn’t seem to be improving. Last August’s decision by the Saudi-supported Hadi government to move the Central Bank from the Houthi-controlled city of Sana’a to Aden caused serious problems in the Bank’s functioning. The Bank stopped guaranteeing imports and is hardly providing any liquidity to the system. FocusEconomics panelists expect the economy to contract 0.4% this year before rebounding and growing 7.4% in 2018.

The economic contraction should ease this year, as the Saudi-led coalition slowly but steadily gained control of large areas of the South. An increased involvement by the new U.S. administration could further speed up the progress.

Vehicles market reported in the 2016 the third highest drop down since 2010, reporting positive performances only in the last three months of the year. Light vehicles volumes had been at 4.292 units (-50.3%), falling back at the 2011 level.

The market leader, Toyota was the only one to score over 3.000 units despite the huge slowdown reported (-48.5%), while the premium brand BMW ranked 2nd gaining five spots (+51.1%). Nissan was in third place falling down in double digit (-32.7%) followed by the best performer of the year, Jeep, improving 348.7%.

At model wise, the best three models had been made by Toyota with podium almost unchanged from the previous year. The leader is the Toyota Hilux  with 1.437 sales (-32.1%) followed by the Toyota Land Cruiser with 727 (-41.0%) which outpaced Toyota Land Cruiser P/U with 614 (-52.0%).

Tables with sales figures

In the tables below we report sales for Top Brands

Country Outlook

On 3 March, ousted president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi stated in an interview that over 85% of Yemen is now under the control of the Yemeni National Army. Hadi’s optimism aside, rebel forces still control the capital city and the surrounding areas. Meanwhile, the Yemeni people are suffering from starvation and a lack of basic medical supplies.

Supplies are slow in arriving as the Saudi-led naval blockade has hampered the shipments from the UN and other organizations’ from reaching Yemeni ports. On a positive note, normalcy is beginning to return to the port city of Aden where the international airport is set to reopen in a matter of weeks.

Market Outlook

Several comments received by our readers and clients to the last report on Yemen underlined as today the vehicles market is depending by supply of pick ups, mainly Toyota Hilux, to which army are installed to fight the civil war in place. Indeed, we frequently watch on television video of terrorist driving their favorite car.

In this circumstances to follow and understand the market trend is really tricky. However, our Experts have produced a full study dedicated to this market, starting from the evidence of historical data and projecting them into the 2020, a time when we hope winds would be finally in favor of people living in Yemen.

In the full year 2015 the market was moot and the first half recovery was followed by a weak second half with final result of 8.463 sales, up a solid 40% (to be read with care in lights of previous year harsh drop).

Toyota has lost market share ending with “only” 68%, unfortunately with Hilux sales picked up 86% at 2.116 units. The second brand was Hyundai with less than one tenth of Toyota sales.

Tables with sales figures

In the tables below we report sales for Top Brands

Country Outlook

The devastating civil war in Yemen continues to tear the country apart, with Houthi forces acting as the de facto government in the capital, Sana’a, and in other parts of the country. Early this month, Houthi forces advanced into the city of Ataq, thus moving closer to reaching important oil and natural gas pipelines and export terminals.

Neighboring countries have gotten involved in the conflict; a Saudi-led coalition of Arab states began air strikes and other military operations in Yemen in an effort to return the ousted government led by President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi to power.

Meanwhile, foreign nationals are being evacuated, international businesses and organizations are closing their doors and relief agencies warn that a humanitarian crisis is already underway in the Middle East’s poorest country.

Market Outlook

According to local sources, during the 2014 the light vehicle market in Yemen collapsed with final registrations of new vehicles at 6.172 units, down a sharp 58.0% from the record volume posted in the previous year.

The automotive sector as many others, has been hit by the expansion of internal crisis and has lost almost all the terrain gained in the previous years. Forecast for current year are negative, with market foreseen down, at least by 20%. However the fall could be higher as actually the purchase of goods in general is limited at food and few others.

Competitive Arena

A real competition is not in place, as the priority for any dealership is to limit the damage from the civil war and many activities are closed. Thanks to the wide range of SUVs and Pick ups, Toyota dominates the market and last year has retailed few units more than 4.000 units falling down by 60.1%. The second there was Hyundai and in the third Suzuki.