NEW analysis of car ownership has shown the South East is the region with highest number of cars for its population, with 561 cars per thousand people, closely followed by the South Eest, with 558 per thousand.

In the south East, according to figures from Kwik Fit, over the last five years the number of cars licensed has risen by eight per cent, from 4,605,886 to 4,979,071 between 2011 to 2015.

Car ownership is growing fastest in the east of England. The region saw the number of cars licensed per thousand head of population increase by seven per cent over the last five years, from 504.9 cars per thousand to 541.8 from 2011 to 2015. That growth rate is the fastest of any region and compares with a national increase of two per cent.

Over the last five years the number of licensed cars nationally rose from 28.47 million in 2011 to 30.23 million in the third quarter of 2015, an increase of six per cent.

Taking the rise in the national population over same period into account, the number of cars per thousand head of population has risen by two per cent, from 471 to 482, ie. just under one car for every two people.

The number of cars in London rise by almost 100,000 over the last five years, however the increase in the city’s population meant the number of cars per thousand people fell by five per cent.