China has 176.5 mln motor vehicles by June 2009

China now has become the home to more than 176.5 million motor vehicles and more than 14 percent of its population has learned to drive, according to the Ministry of Public Security Friday.

More than 188.8 million Chinese, or more than 14 percent of the total population, has obtained a driving license by the end of June, the ministry said.

The number of motor vehicles in the country increased by 3.92 percent in the last six months compared with the end of 2008, and the percentage is slightly higher than that of the same period of last year, according to the ministry.

Stimulated by the country's tax reduction policy for small-displacement cars and favorable motor vehicle purchasing policy for rural residents, the sale of small passenger cars and cargo vehicles witnessed a relatively bigger increase of more than12 percent and more than 7.5 percent, respectively, it said.

Private motor vehicles accounted for nearly 77 percent of the total, a 4.65 percent increase over 2008, it said.

More than 8 million people learned to drive in the past six months, a 9.51 percent increase over the same period last year.

Among the country's drivers, more than 129 million, or nearly 70 percent of the total, are motor car drivers, according to the ministry.