The largest automakers by headcount
Headcount of the world's largest automakers and automotive suppliers, from the latest fiscal year. Compiled by Philipp Raasch, 10 years at Mercedes-Benz, independent automotive industry analyst.
BYD leads with 869,600 employees, ahead of Volkswagen (598,592) and Toyota (390,927).
Automakers by headcount
| # | Company | Size | Country | Employees | FY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BYD | China | 869,600 | ||
| 2 | Volkswagen | Germany | 598,592 | ||
| 3 | Toyota | Japan | 390,927 | ||
| 4 | Stellantis | Netherlands | 258,668 | ||
| 5 | Honda | Japan | 195,109 | ||
| 6 | SAIC Motor | China | 179,797 | ||
| 7 | Ford | United States | 168,000 | ||
| 8 | General Motors | United States | 156,000 | ||
| 9 | BMW | Germany | 154,540 | ||
| 10 | Mercedes-Benz Group | Germany | 152,528 | ||
| 11 | Tesla | United States | 134,785 | ||
| 12 | Nissan | Japan | 132,790 | ||
| 13 | Hyundai Motor | South Korea | 126,069 | ||
| 14 | Dongfeng Motor | China | 109,330 | ||
| 15 | Renault | France | 100,541 | ||
| 16 | Great Wall Motor | China | 97,600 | ||
| 17 | Tata Motors | India | 96,000 | ||
| 18 | GAC Group | China | 82,067 | ||
| 19 | Geely | China | 73,000 | ||
| 20 | Chery Automobile | China | 70,103 | ||
| 21 | Mahindra & Mahindra | India | 67,700 | ||
| 22 | Suzuki Motor | Japan | 62,992 | ||
| 23 | Changan Auto | China | 58,274 | ||
| 24 | Xiaomi | China | 55,994 | ||
| 25 | Mazda | Japan | 47,144 | ||
| 26 | Isuzu | Japan | 42,117 | ||
| 27 | Volvo Car | Sweden | 39,800 | ||
| 28 | Porsche AG | Germany | 38,481 | ||
| 29 | Subaru | Japan | 37,866 | ||
| 30 | Kia | South Korea | 35,747 | ||
| 31 | NIO | China | 35,032 | ||
| 32 | Li Auto | China | 30,728 | ||
| 33 | VinFast | Vietnam | 29,878 | ||
| 34 | Leapmotor | China | 28,785 | ||
| 35 | Mitsubishi Motors | Japan | 28,572 | ||
| 36 | JAC Motors | China | 22,179 | ||
| 37 | Seres Group | China | 21,955 | ||
| 38 | XPeng | China | 19,884 | ||
| 39 | FAW Car | China | 19,117 | ||
| 40 | Hyundai Motor India | India | 17,032 | ||
| 41 | Rivian | United States | 15,232 | ||
| 42 | Maruti Suzuki | India | 14,280 | ||
| 43 | Lucid | United States | 9,000 | ||
| 44 | Ferrari | Italy | 5,740 | ||
| 45 | KG Mobility | South Korea | 4,198 | ||
| 46 | Aston Martin | United Kingdom | 2,807 | ||
| 47 | Polestar | Sweden | 1,686 | ||
| 48 | Lotus Technology | China | 1,132 | ||
| 49 | Porsche SE | Germany | 46 |
Fiscal years can differ by company (FY column).
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.
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 and revenue, 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 Jul 12, 2026.
Where do the employee numbers come from?
The employee figure is the consolidated headcount of the reporting group entity from the latest fiscal year, 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.
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