TOKYO, 28th May, 2020 (WAM) -- The number of vehicles sold worldwide by Toyota Motor Co. dropped 45.3 percent year-on-year in April to 472,703 units due to reduced economic activity during the coronavirus pandemic, the Japanese carmaker said on Thursday.

The number of cars produced globally by the Toyota group, including Daihatsu Motor and Hino Motors, plunged 51.1 percent to 445,014, reported the German news agency DPA, citing a report released by the manufacturer.

The group expects its global vehicle sales for the current financial year to fall 14.9 percent to 8.9 million units, the report said.

Japan's largest carmaker projects operating profit for the year ending March 2021 will fall 79.5 percent year-on-year to 500 billion yen (US$4.6 billion) due to the pandemic, Toyota said earlier this month.

The company halted vehicle production in many parts of the world to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. It resumed normal operations in China in late March, while gradually restarting production in some other countries, DPA added.