The bar chart illustrates the proportion of households owning cars in a European country over a 30-year period, from 1971 to 2001.
Overall, there was a marked decline in the percentage of households without a car, while car ownership, both single and multiple, increased substantially. Notably, the proportion of households with one car remained the most prevalent throughout the period, whereas the percentage of households with two or more cars experienced a notable rise.
In 1971, approximately 48% of households did not own a car, the highest among the three categories. This figure fell significantly to around 33% in 1981 and further to about 23% in 1991, after which it stabilized, with a similar level recorded in 2001. In contrast, households owning a single car saw a gradual increase from roughly 43% in 1971 to 45% in 1981, and continued to rise to 48% in 1991, reaching a peak of 49% by 2001.
The proportion of households with two or more cars, though the smallest, exhibited the most dramatic growth. Starting at just 9% in 1971, this figure more than doubled to 22% in 1981 and continued to climb to 29% in 1991. By 2001, it had slightly decreased to 28%, yet still represented a substantial increase over the three decades. Overall, the data reveals a clear shift towards higher car ownership, with the percentage of carless households halving and multi-car households tripling in share.