European motorcycle and scooter registrations rise 16.8% above pre-pandemic levels
Motorcycle and scooter registrations across Europe’s five largest markets reached 636,490 in the first half of 2026, up 16.8% year on year and more than 27% above 2019. Italy led by volume, Germany recorded the fastest overall growth, and electric motorcycle registrations increased 35.3% from a low base.
Five markets add more than 91,000 registrations
Registrations of motorcycles and road-legal scooters in Europe’s five largest markets reached 636,490 during the first half of 2026, according to Gazzetta.it. That was 16.8% above the 545,127 vehicles registered in the same period of 2025, representing an increase of more than 91,000 units. Italy, Spain, Germany, France and the United Kingdom together account for about 80% of motorcycle registrations across the European Union and the UK.
Italy remained the largest market by a wide margin, with 220,776 registrations, up 13.2% and almost 26,000 units year on year. It represented just under 35% of the five-market total. Spain ranked second with 141,101 units, a rise of 23.6%. Germany posted the fastest percentage increase, advancing 27.6% to 114,849 vehicles, although the comparison followed a 29% contraction in the first half of 2025. France grew 6.4% to 104,802 units, while the UK rose 15.8% to 54,962 and recorded growth in every month of the half-year.
Growth moderates but remains above 2019
The pace slowed after a strong opening quarter. Registrations increased 21.1% to 250,787 units during the first three months, compared with 16.8% for the full half-year. The market still expanded throughout the second quarter: April rose 15.3%, May 8.4% and June 18.7%. June was the largest month of the period, with 138,843 registrations. The figures should be viewed against a weak base, as registrations had fallen 10.8% in the first half of 2025.
The longer comparison nevertheless indicates that demand has moved above pre-pandemic levels. The five markets registered 500,252 motorcycles in the first half of 2019, against 636,490 in 2026, an increase of more than 27%. Registrations fell to 415,501 in 2020 before recovering above 600,000 in both 2023 and 2024. Antonio Perlot, secretary general of the European Association of Motorcycle Manufacturers, said the figures reflected growing European interest in powered two-wheelers for practical mobility, tourism and leisure.
Electric motorcycles recover from a low base
Electric motorcycle registrations increased 35.3% to 18,202, from 13,458 a year earlier. Germany became the largest market, almost doubling registrations by 87.5% to 5,333. France followed with 4,217 units, up 33.7%, and Italy recorded 4,104, up 38%. Spain grew only 4.3% to 3,503 despite its strong wider motorcycle market, while the UK declined 7.5% to 1,045.
Electric models still represented less than 3% of total registrations across the five countries. The absolute increase was 4,744 vehicles, and more than half of it came from Germany. Gazzetta.it noted that company purchases, manufacturer and dealer registrations, or fleet orders could have contributed to the German result, but industry data do not separate private and corporate buyers. The recovery also remains incomplete: first-half electric registrations were below the 21,078 recorded in 2022, after falling to 19,381 in 2023, 13,964 in 2024 and 13,458 in 2025.