TOKYO -- Chinese automakers are set to become the world's largest sellers of new vehicles in 2025, overtaking Japanese manufacturers for the first time, The Nikkei has reported.

According to an estimate by The Nikkei based on company disclosures from January to November 2025 and data from S&P Global Mobility, Chinese carmakers are projected to sell about 27 million vehicles worldwide this year, up 17 percent from the previous year.

Meanwhile, the combined sales of Japanese carmakers are expected to remain flat at around 25 million vehicles, meaning Japanese automakers -- who have held the top spot in global sales for more than 20 years, are set to slip to second place, the report said on Tuesday.

Global auto sales were once dominated by competition between Japan and the United States, with Japan peaking at close to 30 million vehicles sold in 2018, the article pointed out.

In 2022, Chinese automakers trailed Japanese carmakers by about 8 million vehicles, but China may overtake them in just three years, it added.