Source: Roy Morgan Single Source: January-December 2007 n = 52,720; January-December 2015 n = 48,961 Australians 16+

Australians aged 80-plus are now more likely to drive than 18-24 year-olds, the latest national data from Roy Morgan shows.

Over the past eight years, the proportion of Australians aged 80+ who get behind the wheel has steadily increased—while 18-24 year-olds have become less inclined to drive. For the first time, in 2015 the oldies surpassed the youngsters as the more likely group to drive: 69% of 80+ (up from 59% in 2007) compared with 68% of 18-24 (down from 72%).

Even working in from the bookends, all older groups are now more likely to drive than their younger counterparts: 75-79 year-olds are now more likely to drive than 25-29 year-olds (85% vs 78%), while both 65-69 (91%) and 70-74 year-olds (87%) have surpassed the 30-34 group (85%).

In 2007, driving incidence peaked at 93% of people aged 35-49; the peak is still 93%—but today it’s among 50-64 year-olds. Australians aged 16 or 17 are also slightly less likely to drive than they were eight years ago (37%, down 1% point).

% of age group who are drivers

Source: Roy Morgan Single Source: January-December 2007 n = 52,720; January-December 2015 n = 48,961 Australians 16+

As we start driving later and keep driving longer, this impacts the demographics of new car buyers. In 2007, just 38% of those who intended to buy new car within the next four years were aged 50 and over. As of 2015, this group makes up 45% of the new car market, with growth sharpest among those 65+ (15% of the market, up from 9%).

Of the nearly 2.3 million Australians planning on getting a new car in the next four years, as many are now aged 35-49 (30%, down 4% points) as 50-64 (also 30%, up 1% point), while just one in four are aged 34 and under (down from 28%).

% of New Car Intenders in Age Group

Source: Roy Morgan Single Source: January-December 2007 n =6,217 and January-December 2015

n = 5,571 Australians 14+ who intend to buy a new car in the next four years.

Norman Morris, Industry Communications Director, Roy Morgan Research, says:

“Watching most car commercials, you’d be forgiven for assuming all drivers are in their mid-30s. But Australians aged 65-plus are today around 50% more likely to intend to buy a new car in the next four years than they were 2007—and there are, in fact, almost as many of these buyers across the country as there are 25-34 year-olds in the market. “Compared with the norm, older buyers are more interested in buying new small or medium passenger vehicles, with intentions well above the norm to get themselves a new Mercedes-Benz, Kia or Honda.”