Toyota published sales and production results for July 2026. Archive image.
Toyota sales fell 4.8% in July. China is in a sixth consecutive month of decline
Toyota and Lexus together sold 856,125 cars worldwide in July 2026, 4.8% fewer than in the same month of 2025. The result was pulled down by China and the Middle East, while the Japanese market grew 11%.
The phrase "sixth consecutive month of decline" needs a clarification: the streak refers to Toyota sales in China, not to global production and not to every market in which the company operates. In China, deliveries fell 24.3% versus July 2025.
Toyota's July 2026 results
| Indicator | Volume | Year-on-year change |
|---|---|---|
| Global Toyota and Lexus sales | 856,125 | -4.8% |
| Global Toyota and Lexus production | 828,629 | -2.1% |
| Sales outside Japan | 706,028 | -7.6% |
| Sales in Japan | 150,097 | +11.0% |
| Production outside Japan | 500,472 | -9.8% |
| Production in Japan | 328,157 | +12.4% |
Toyota's main figures include the premium Lexus brand. If the Daihatsu subsidiary is added, the group sold 912,683 vehicles, down 5.3%, and produced 934,953 units, 1.4% fewer than a year earlier.
The gap between the two sets of numbers explains why reports on the same results can show different totals. For Toyota and Lexus brand performance, the relevant benchmark is the 856,125-unit volume. For the full group as reported by the company, the total also includes Daihatsu.
China was the main problem
Toyota and Lexus sales in China fell 24.3%, to about 114,700 cars. It was the sixth consecutive month in which the result stayed below the comparable period of the previous year.
The company pointed to higher petrol prices as one of the factors that hit demand for hybrid cars and for those with combustion-only engines. The pressure is broader, however. Chinese manufacturers have large ranges of electric and plug-in hybrid models, updated quickly and supported by aggressive competition on price and technology.
Toyota's local production fell even more sharply than sales: -32.7% versus July 2025. The drop shows the manufacturer adjusted factory activity to weaker demand and to changes in the range sold locally.
Toyota is nonetheless preparing additional investment in China. The company is developing its own Lexus plant in Shanghai, intended for electric cars and batteries, with production planned to start in 2027. July's results show why speeding up the local electric range has become important.
The Middle East recorded the largest percentage drop
In the Middle East, sales fell 44.5%, to about 27,600 vehicles. The region has a smaller share than China or the United States in Toyota's total, but the scale of the decline affected the global result.
Transport and vehicle availability were disrupted by regional tensions, and fuel-price changes influenced demand. Toyota had previously estimated that a significant part of its annual Middle East volume could be affected by the situation in the region.
In the United States, the manufacturer's largest single market, sales fell slightly, by 0.8%. The almost stable result contrasts with the strong advance the company reported in June and shows that monthly trends are not uniform.
Japan offset some of the losses
On the home market, Toyota and Lexus delivered 150,097 cars, 11% more than in July 2025. The company attributes the increase to the contribution of new models.
Production in Japan also rose 12.4%, to 328,157 units. Outside the country, however, plants produced 500,472 cars, 9.8% fewer. Globally, the balance stayed negative: 828,629 cars, down 2.1%.
Exports from Japan went the other way. They rose 10.2%, exceeding 196,000 vehicles. It was the third consecutive month of growth and the highest volume since October 2025.
Hybrids remain Toyota's main advantage
One month's decline does not change the company's global scale, but it highlights how results depend on China and on the stability of commercial flows to the Middle East. In North America, Europe and Japan, demand for full-hybrid models continues to support the brand.
Toyota estimates that its hybrid car sales can exceed five million units in calendar year 2026. These models are an advantage in markets where charging infrastructure is developing slowly, but they do not automatically offer the same protection in China, where electric and plug-in hybrid cars from local brands are gaining market share.
For Europe and Romania, the global figures do not signal an immediate change in the range or in deliveries. They do show the direction in which Toyota will allocate investment: more electric cars for China, continued hybrid offering in markets where it has demand, and regional production adjusted to orders.
