North Macedonia has oldest vehicle fleet in the Balkans

North Macedonia possesses the oldest vehicle fleet in the Balkan region, with an average vehicle age of 19.4 years, according to an analysis by Al Jazeera Balkans. While the number of registered vehicles has nearly doubled from approximately 350,000 in 2012 to around 700,000 in 2024, the average age of the fleet has remained largely unchanged.

Data indicates that 87.9 percent of vehicles in the country are more than seven years old. This average is significantly higher than the European Union average of 12.7 years. Within the region, North Macedonia's fleet age exceeds that of Kosovo (18 years), Greece (17.3 years), Montenegro (17.06 years), Croatia (14.63 years), and Slovenia (11.2 years).

The high average age is attributed to the massive import of used vehicles from Western Europe, particularly Germany and Italy, as many citizens struggle to afford new cars. While some neighboring countries like Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro have implemented restrictions on importing older diesel vehicles, Serbia continues to allow the import of vehicles older than 20 years.