On March 1, 2023, the European Commission presented a comprehensive road safety package that includes the introduction of digital driving licenses valid in all countries EUand stricter enforcement of regulations abroad.
Against the background of these pan-European changes, the picture of the cost of driving lessons, exams, licensing and maintenance at the EU level shows a wide range of prices. The Czech Republic and Bulgaria are the “champions”, while Greece is among the countries with the lowest growth rates.
According to Eurostat, in 2022 the prices for these services were on average 4.8% higher than in 2021, which is almost three times higher than in 2018, when they were +1.7% compared to 2017 year.
In 2020, the first year of the COVID-19 crisis, the CAGR (+1.6%) was lower than in 2019 (+2.0%). However, in 2021, this percentage has doubled, reaching +3.2%. It corresponds a general increase in inflation in the service sector.
Among the EU countries, the highest average annual price change rates for driving lessons, exams, obtaining a license and vehicle inspection in 2022 were registered in the Czech Republic (+19.6%), Bulgaria (+18.0%), Italy (+13.3% ), Lithuania (+11.2%) and Poland (+11.1%).
In contrast, Cyprus was the only country that registered a negative price level indicator (-1.6%), i.e. the cost has decreased. While Croatia (+0.2%), Greece (+0.7%) and Ireland (+1.0%) recorded the lowest growth rates for these services.
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