AutopreneurInsights

The largest automakers by headcount

Headcount of the world's largest automakers, from each company's latest annual report. Compiled by Philipp Raasch, almost 10 years at Mercedes-Benz, independent automotive industry analyst.

As ofreported years 2025/2026
SourceAnnual reports
Coverage49 manufacturers · 27 suppliers

Last checked Oct 11, 2026

BYD leads with 869,600 employees, ahead of Volkswagen (598,592 employees) and Toyota (390,927 employees).

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Manufacturers 49Suppliers 27
Bars relative to No. 1 · employees

Automakers by headcount

#CompanySizeCountryEmployeesAs of
1BYDChina869,6002026
2VolkswagenGermany598,5922026
3ToyotaJapan390,9272026
4StellantisNetherlands258,6682026
5HondaJapan195,1092026
6SAIC MotorChina179,7972026
7FordUnited States168,0002026
8General MotorsUnited States156,0002026
9BMWGermany154,5402026
10Mercedes-Benz GroupGermany152,5282026
11TeslaUnited States134,7852026
12NissanJapan132,7902025
13Hyundai MotorSouth Korea123,3602025
14Dongfeng MotorChina114,0412025
15RenaultFrance100,5412026
16Great Wall MotorChina97,6002026
17GAC GroupChina82,0672026
18GeelyChina73,0002026
19Chery AutomobileChina70,1032026
20Mahindra & MahindraIndia67,7002025
21Suzuki MotorJapan62,9922025
22Tata MotorsIndia60,3322026
23Changan AutoChina58,2742026
24XiaomiChina55,9942026
25MazdaJapan47,1442026
26IsuzuJapan42,1172025
27Volvo CarSweden39,8002026
28Porsche AGGermany38,4812026
29SubaruJapan37,8662025
30KiaSouth Korea36,5662025
31NIOChina35,0322026
32Li AutoChina30,7282026
33VinFastVietnam29,8782026
34LeapmotorChina28,7852026
35Mitsubishi MotorsJapan28,5722025
36JAC MotorsChina22,1792026
37Seres GroupChina21,9552026
38XPengChina19,8842026
39FAW CarChina19,1172026
40Hyundai Motor IndiaIndia17,0322025
41RivianUnited States15,2322026
42Maruti SuzukiIndia14,2802025
43LucidUnited States9,0002026
44FerrariItaly5,7402026
45KG MobilitySouth Korea4,1262025
46Aston MartinUnited Kingdom2,8072026
47PolestarSweden1,6862026
48Lotus TechnologyChina1,1322026
49Porsche SEGermany462026

As of per company: year of the annual report or of the latest lookup (As of column).

My take
Headcount shows an automaker's weight in the real world: plants, regions, livelihoods. The industry's biggest employers are rarely its most efficient, but they carry entire regions. This number reads best next to profit per employee.
Philipp Raasch
Philipp RaaschFounder · Der Autopreneur

Methodology

Consolidated headcount of the reporting group entity, from the latest available fiscal year. Sources: mostly the consolidated financial statements of listed companies, supplemented by public company disclosures. Unlike market capitalization, this view also includes privately held major suppliers such as Bosch, ZF, and Tenneco where a reliable headcount is published. Conglomerates (Xiaomi) and semiconductor groups (Infineon) are shown with the group-level figure, marked with a label.

All information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. Financial figures may be delayed, preliminary or contain errors. No guarantee of accuracy, completeness or timeliness. Exchange rates: European Central Bank.

Frequently asked questions

Which automaker has the most employees?

BYD employs the most people of any automaker, at 869,600 employees, ahead of Volkswagen (598,592) and Toyota (390,927). As of reported years 2025/2026.

Where do the employee numbers come from?

The employee figure is the consolidated headcount of the reporting group entity from each company's latest annual report, taken from the consolidated financial statements and public company disclosures. Unlike market capitalization and revenue, this includes privately held suppliers such as Bosch, ZF, and Tenneco where they publish a headcount.

Where do I find the largest suppliers by headcount?

The automotive suppliers have their own ranking. Bosch leads there with 413,000 employees. To the supplier ranking by headcount.

Same industry, different metric

By profitWho actually makes money By operating marginOperating profit per euro of revenue By vehicle salesWho sells the most cars Profit per vehicleWho earns on every single car By market capitalizationWhat the stock market values Profit per employeeOutput per employee By revenueSheer size All metricsBack to the overview

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