Sri Lanka recorded a notable decline in motor vehicle registrations in October, with only 47,685 vehicles registered during the month. This reflects a 2% drop compared to 48,708 registrations in September, according to a report issued by CAL Research.
The report, prepared using official data from the Department of Motor Traffic, highlights that nearly all major vehicle categories experienced declines, signalling a broader slowdown in the vehicle market. Despite the higher overall figures when compared to 2018 levels, the month-on-month trend indicates weakening activity.
Motorcycles—typically the strongest segment—also showed a slowdown. A total of 32,768 motorcycles were registered in October, accounting for 69% of all registrations. This is a 0.4% decrease compared to the 32,626 registrations recorded in September. Year-to-date, motorcycles make up 72% of all registered vehicles.
The most significant downturn was seen in the motor car segment, where registrations fell sharply to 9,205 units, marking a steep 90% decline compared to the 10,146 registrations recorded in September.
Three-wheeler registrations dropped as well, with 2,541 units registered in October—down from 3,015 in September, reflecting a 167% reduction, according to the report.
While the overall trend remained negative, only two categories showed minor improvements.
Lorry registrations increased to 1,068 units, a 7% rise from September’s 994.
Bus registrations also rose slightly to 131 units, marking a 3% increase.
However, CAL Research notes that these small gains in commercial vehicles do not offset the broader decline across the vehicle market during October.
