A strong focus on innovation, electric mobility and economies of scale have enabled Chinese carmakers to achieve strong growth in both domestic and global markets.
Known as the ‘Factory of the World’, China controls about 30% of global manufacturing output. One of the major contributors is the Chinese auto industry, which is experiencing strong and consistent growth. This is clearly reflected in the 2025 global automotive industry rankings, where three Chinese carmakers feature in the top 10. Let’s see the details.
BYD leads with 4.60 million units
Among the three Chinese carmakers on the global automotive top 10 list, BYD is ahead of SAIC and Geely. BYD is in sixth place with sales of 4.60 million units in 2025. Compared to 4.27 million units sold in 2024, the year-on-year growth is 7.72%. BYD has improved its rank by one place in the top 10 list. BYD’s major brands include Denza, Yangwang and Fang Cheng Bao.
While SAIC and Geely maintain a mixed portfolio of ICE and EV models, BYD has transitioned to a fully electrified lineup to include BEVs and plug-in hybrids. BYD’s pure electric vehicle sales reach 2.25 million units in 2025. This is an annual increase of 27.86%. With this huge leap, BYD is now ahead of Tesla for the first time in the pure EV segment.
SAIC ranks 7th in the top 10 list with sales of 4.51 million units in 2025. Compared to 4.01 million units sold in 2024, the year-on-year growth is 12.33%. Major brands owned by SAIC include Roewe, MG, IM Motors and Wuling (JV). Compared to last year, SAIC has maintained its position at 7th position.
Geely is ranked 9th on the list, gaining two places and ahead of Honda. Geely’s sales in 2025 were 4.12 million units. The year-on-year growth compared to 3.27 million units sold in 2024 is an impressive 26.03%. This is the first time that Geely has passed the 4 million annual sales milestone. Geely has recorded positive year-on-year growth for the fifth consecutive year. Major brands operated by Geely include Volvo, Zeekar and Lynk & Co.
Growing global presence, domestic dominance
Chinese car manufacturers have continuously increased their presence in international markets. Global market share in 2025 was 35.6%, an annual increase of 1.4% compared to 34.2% market share in 2024. In November 2025, China’s global automotive market share was expected to reach 40%. In December it was at 37%.
BYD is expected to sell 1.05 million vehicles globally in 2025, registering a massive growth of 145% (YoY). SAIC’s number was slightly higher at 1.071 million units, a gain of 3.1% year-on-year. China has maintained its position as the world’s largest automotive market for 17 consecutive years. A total of 34.531 million units were manufactured in 2025, while total sales were 34.4 million units. These figures represent year-on-year growth of 10.4% and 9.4% respectively.
One can also see that the Chinese market is establishing a clear lead in EV adoption. NEV (new energy vehicles) sales were more than 16 million units, accounting for about 50% of total domestic sales. China has emerged as the world’s leading auto exporter with 7 million vehicles in 2025. NEVs contributed 2.615 million units, double that of 2024.
In China’s domestic market, the government’s trade-in programs have contributed significantly to increased sales. According to Finance Ministry data, these exchange programs have generated sales of more than 2.6 trillion yuan (Rs 34.57 lakh crore). About 360 million consumers have benefited from these schemes. This has also helped accelerate EV adoption. Of the 11.5 million old vehicles that were replaced with new vehicles, about 60% were NEVs.
Top 5 global car manufacturers in 2025
Toyota remains the top carmaker in the world with sales of 11.32 million units in 2025. The year-on-year growth is 4.65% compared to 10.82 million units sold in 2024. Volkswagen is at number two (8.98 million units), followed by Hyundai (7.27 million), General Motors (6.18 million) and Stellantis (5.48 million).
Ford is in 8th place with sales of 4.40 million units in 2025. The brand is down two places in 2025. It has recorded a negative annual growth of -1.68%. Honda is at 10th position with sales of 3.52 million units. It has lost one place in 2025. Nissan, which was in the top 10 last year, is missing from this year’s ranking.
