UK van numbers hit another high

This marks an increase of 86,700 (2%) on the previous year, with 1.2 million more LGVs on our UK roads than 10 years ago. Vans now make up 12% of all vehicles on our roads and an increase in van ownership is increasingly noticeable among women.

Female van ownership in the UK has doubled in the last 15 years, with 272,900 owners in 2024 (6% of the total market), highlighting how ownership within the LGV market is becoming slightly more gender diverse. Male van ownership currently stands at 2,081,600 owners (43% of the market), while the remainder are owned by companies (48%), between owners (2%) or unknown (1%).

In 2024, 8% of the total vans on the road were in their first year of use, with 363,000 new vans registered – up 3% from 2023 (352,000).

The average age of LGVs hit an all-time high of 9.1 years in 2024, compared to 8.4 years in 2020. This marks an increase of 8% in almost half a decade.

In 2024, registration of zero-emission vans remained low (6%) compared to cars (19%) although 2025 is swiftly improving on this so far.

Eva Sandstra-Bennett, van product manager at Direct Line business insurance, commented: “A record number of vans on the road highlights strong commercial activity across the UK, which is good news for businesses. Analysis of the figures underlines the resilience of the UK’s van market despite recent supply side challenges.”