RATIO OF CARS TO POPULATION

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27636, 18 April 1955, Page 14

RATIO OF CARS TO POPULATION

NEW ZEALAND SECOND ON WORLD LIST

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, April 16. An Australian claim last week that Australia was challenging New Zealand tor second position on the list of motorised nations was answered yesterday. According to the latest figures available in Wellington, New Zealand has more cars for its population than any other country except the United States.

The latest official figures were those of the quarterly summary of Australian statistics as at June 30, 1954, said a member of the statistical section of the Transport Department, in reply to an inquiry. The population of Australia was there stated as 8,962,280, and the number of cars as 1,199,833—that was one car to every 7.5 persons. On the same date, the New Zealand population was 2,092,819, and private cars numbered 329.153. That gave one car to every 6.4 persons. It seemed likely that the Australian calculation of “one car for every 4.7 persons” reported last week referred to total vehicles on the road, said the Transport Department official.

When the total vehicles on New Zealand roads were counted (excluding trailers) the proportion on June 30 was one to 3.9 persons, and on December 30 was one to 3.8 persons, with the ratio still rising. The list of nations was:—United States, one vehicle for every 3.4 persons; New Zealand, one for 3.8; Canada, one for 4.3; Australia, one for 4.7.