TEHRAN- Iranian automakers managed to produce 516,206 vehicles during the first six months of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21-September 22) to register a six percent growth compared to the same period of time in the past year, the data released by the Ministry of Industry, Mining, and Trade showed.

Based on the mentioned data, manufacturing of passenger cars in the said period increased by one percent to reach 446,564, IRNA reported.

As reported, passenger cars accounted for 87 percent of the total production of Iranian automakers in the first half of the current year.

The production of pickup trucks reached 51,340 units in the said time span, to register an increase of 45 percent compared to the last year’s same period.

The highest production growth was recorded for van vehicles with 583 percent. Domestic car manufacturers produced 1,386 vans in the said six months.

Some 476 minibuses and middle-buses, 524 buses as well as 12,916 trucks and tractors were also produced in the mentioned period.

Iran Khodro Company (IKCO) was the country's top car manufacturer in H1 with the production of 228,008 cars. The production by the mentioned company in the said period experienced a six percent drop compared to last year.

Iran has been following a program for supporting domestic manufacturing of auto parts since due to the U.S. sanctions the country’s automakers have been facing some problems in supplying their needed parts and equipment.

The country was ranked the world’s 19th biggest automaker in 2021, according to the report released by the International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers, Organisation Internationale des Constructeurs d'Automobiles (OICA).

Based on the OICA data, Iranian automakers produced 894,298 vehicles in 2021 to register a two-percent increase compared to 2020.

Iran's car production in 2021 was higher than many industrialized countries such as Italy with 795,000 units, South Africa with 499,000 units, Poland with 439,000 units, Portugal with 289,000 units, Taiwan with 265,000 units, Belgium with 261,000 units, Austria with 136,000 units, Finland with 93,000 units and Egypt with 23,000 units.

EF/MA