Gitnux/Report 2026

Boatbuilding Industry Statistics

Boatbuilding Industry trends are shifting fast, with 2025 figures showing a sharper move in demand than many makers expected and a clear change in where capacity is growing. Read how the latest production, employment, and export patterns line up against the prior year so you can spot what is likely to matter next.
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November 11, 2026Updated
Boatbuilding Industry Statistics
Elif DemirciWritten by Elif Demirci·Edited by Astrid Bergmann·Fact-checked by Maya Johansson
Published ·Updated
How this report is researched
01Editorial Scope

Gitnux editors write the brief first: the topic, the inclusion rules, and the frame for what belongs.

02Source Research

Agents search the published record and log every extracted figure back to the passage it came from.

Read our full methodology →

Search agents attach provenance to every extracted figure.

Next review: within 31 days

01 Industry overview

The boatbuilding industry at a glance

Boatbuilding is a fragmented, predominantly recreational industry facing post-pandemic normalization: U.S. small boatbuilders generated $14.7 billion in revenue and employed about 50,000 workers in 2025, while new-boat retail sales softened.

$14.7B[62]
U.S. small-builder revenue, 2025
50,000[62]
U.S. small-builder jobs, 2025
215,237[13]
U.S. new boats sold, 2025
82,000+[63]
European boatbuilding jobs
Market size
The U.S. small ship and boatbuilding sector included 1,213 small businesses, approximately 50,000 workers and $14.7 billion in revenue in 2025. In Europe, the boatbuilding sector comprises about 3,600 companies employing more than 82,000 people.[62][63]
Market share & regions
Europe has a substantial production base, with Italy hosting the largest number of recreational-craft production facilities; Germany has the largest distribution network and the United Kingdom contains most sector suppliers. In the United States, NMMA represents approximately 85% of the recreational boat, marine-engine and accessory manufacturing market.[64][13]
Segmentation
U.S. recreational boatbuilding is segmented into fishing boats, personal watercraft and watersports boats, pontoons, cruisers, runabouts, jet boats and yachts. In 2025, fishing boats led with 77,434 units, followed by watersports boats including personal watercraft at 71,461 units.[13]
Key players & concentration
The market includes large branded manufacturers alongside many smaller builders: the U.S. SBA counted 1,213 small ship and boat builders in 2025. Brunswick reported $1.525 billion in 2025 Boat segment sales and distributed products through more than 1,300 dealers and distributors, indicating significant scale but not a consolidated market.[62][15]
Pricing
Brunswick’s Boat segment reported a 2.1% positive contribution from product mix and price in 2025, partly offsetting a 4.6% volume decline; total Boat segment net sales decreased 1.8% year over year to $1.525 billion. NMMA reported that elevated interest rates and inflation continued to affect large discretionary purchases.[15][13]
Trends, drivers & challenges
Demand is normalizing after the pandemic surge: U.S. new-boat retail sales fell 8.8% year over year to 215,237 units in 2025. Accessible categories such as personal watercraft, aluminum fishing boats and smaller trailerable boats accounted for more than 90% of estimated 2025 unit sales, while tariffs, interest rates, inflation and cautious consumer sentiment pressured production and purchasing.[13]
Consumer behavior & competition
Pre-owned boats represented 78.3% of U.S. boat transactions in 2024, with 858,798 pre-owned sales compared with 238,117 new-boat sales. Boat clubs and peer-to-peer sharing are expanding access, while fishing boats, personal watercraft and the luxury segment remain competitive bright spots.[13]
M&A
Recent industry consolidation includes the April 2025 sale of Catalina Yachts and True North Yachts to Michael Reardon, founder and CEO of Daedalus Yachts. The transaction expanded Daedalus’s portfolio with established sailboat and powerboat brands, although the purchase price was not disclosed.
Regulation
In the European Union, recreational craft and personal watercraft between 2.5 and 24 metres intended for sport or leisure use are regulated by Directive 2013/53/EU, covering design, construction, safety, emissions, conformity assessment and CE marking. The European Commission updated harmonised standards for the directive in March 2026.[65]
Latest news
The latest full-year U.S. data released in March 2026 showed 2025 new-boat retail sales of 215,237 units, down 8.8% from 236,070 units in 2024. NMMA described the 2026 market as relatively stable, with participation holding up despite economic headwinds and demand normalization.[13]

02 Ranking

Top 10 Companies in the Boatbuilding Industry

The leading companies in the boatbuilding industry, ranked on market impact, performance, momentum, innovation and brand popularity.

Updated November 10, 2026 · Next review December 10, 2026

Verdict

Fincantieri leads Gitnux's 2026 boatbuilding ranking with an Overall score of 9.3, with revenue growth 13.1% and operating margin 4%. Damen Shipyards Group is the runner-up at 9.1, with revenue growth 7.6%.

Ranked by Overall score · How we score ↓

Editor's top 3 picks

Where to start, by need.

  1. #1 Overall · Leader in naval vessels & defence craft

    Fincantieri

    IT

    Ranked #1 · 9.3 · Naval vessels & defence craft

    Why we picked it: It builds cruise ships and naval vessels across complex marine craft, backed by 13.1% revenue growth.

    See in ranking ↓Visit fincantieri.com ↗

  2. Leader in recreational leisure yachts

    Azimut|Benetti Group

    IT

    Ranked #3 · 9.1 · Recreational leisure yachts

    Why we picked it: It targets luxury yachts and megayachts, with 9% revenue growth across its global yachting portfolio.

    See in ranking ↓Visit azimutbenetti.com ↗

  3. Leader in passenger ferries & workboats

    Austal

    AU

    Ranked #4 · 9.1 · Passenger ferries & workboats

    Why we picked it: It builds ferries and patrol boats plus high-speed defence and commercial vessels, with 24% revenue growth.

    See in ranking ↓Visit austal.com ↗

Pick 1 is the #1 company overall. Picks 2 and 3 are the highest-ranked companies in the top 5 that add a new segment.

Full ranking

Sort by
Top 10 companies in the boatbuilding industry, 2026 – Gitnux ranking
#CompanyOverall ↓Company snapshot
1

Fincantieri

Naval vessels & defence craft · IT

9.3
2

Damen Shipyards Group

Naval vessels & defence craft · NL

9.1
3

Azimut|Benetti Group

Recreational leisure yachts · IT

9.1
4

Austal

Passenger ferries & workboats · AU

9.1
5

Ferretti Group

Recreational leisure yachts · IT

8.9
6

HII

Aircraft carriers, submarines and naval vessels · US

8.8
7

Malibu Boats

Watersports, fishing and performance powerboats · US

8.7
8

Brunswick

Recreational boats, engines and marine systems · US

8.5
9

MasterCraft Boat Holdings

Ski, wakeboard and performance powerboats · US

8.3
10

Nimbus Group

Premium leisure boats, Scandinavia and global · SE

8.3

How we score

  • Impact (30%): scale and weight in the market (revenue, market share, employees, market position).
  • Performance (20%): recent revenue growth and operating margin; an analyst assessment where a company does not publish them.
  • Momentum (20%): growth trajectory and future potential.
  • Innovation (15%): R&D intensity and how technologically advanced the company is.

Popularity (brand search demand, 15%) counts toward Overall but is not published as a column. Overall leaves out what is not known.

Scale Scores are shown on a 7–10 scale with one decimal; bars start at 7.0.

Cadence Recalculated when new figures are published; next review December 10, 2026.

Independence. Rankings are editorially independent. Scores, ranks, picks and the verdict follow the method above; no company can pay to change them.

Cite this ranking

APA

Elif Demirci. (2026, February 13). Top 10 companies in the boatbuilding industry. In Boatbuilding Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/boatbuilding-industry-statistics/#top-companies

report visual · Comparison

Total length of yachts in build or on order by builder

Azimut-Benetti leads with 5,924 metres.

Azimut-Benetti5,924 metres
Sanlorenzo4,698 metres
Lürssen1,417 metres
Feadship1,390 metres
The Italian Sea Group1,337 metres
Sunreef Yachts1,185 metres
source-verifiedcdn.boatinternational.com

04 Statistics

Technology & Innovation

Data and automation practices show uneven adoption in adjacent logistics benchmarks, while Fincantieri planned $100 million through 2030 for physical AI, robotics, digital twins, and advanced manufacturing.

Digital Transformation in the transportation and logistics sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among global logistics decision-makers, 69% expected digitalization to improve efficiency in 2025.[1]
  • Across surveyed freight forwarders and logistics providers, 49% had digitized 50% or fewer of business processes or transactions in November 2024.[2]
  • Among global logistics decision-makers, 51% identified high costs as a challenge to digitalizing logistics operations in 2025.[1]
  • Among global logistics decision-makers, 63% expected digitalization to enhance customer experience in 2025.[1]
  • Across surveyed freight forwarders and logistics providers, 23% had digitized more than 75% of business processes or transactions in November 2024.[2]

Technology Adoption in the transportation and logistics sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across transportation and logistics organizations, 53% were partially or fully deploying automated real-time shipment tracking to address knowledge-worker shortages in 2024.[3]
  • Among 2026 transportation-management survey respondents, 19% of shippers reported using AI at scale.[3]
  • Among 2026 transportation-management survey respondents, 15% of logistics service providers reported using AI at scale.[3]
  • Across transportation and logistics executives surveyed in Europe and North America, 44% were using AI for transportation planning and optimization in 2025.[4]
  • Across transportation and logistics organizations, 53% were partially or fully deploying AI to reduce workloads in 2024.[3]

Cloud Computing in the transportation and logistics sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across travel, transportation and logistics companies surveyed globally, 85% said leadership viewed cloud as a long-term investment in 2023.[5]
  • Across travel, transportation and logistics companies surveyed globally, 75% said cloud was crucial to their organization’s future in 2023.[5]
  • Across travel, transportation and logistics companies surveyed globally, 89% planned to increase AI and machine-learning investment during the following one to two years.[5]
  • Across travel, transportation and logistics companies surveyed globally, 84% had increased AI and machine-learning investment during the preceding one to two years.[5]

Big Data in the transportation and logistics sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among global logistics decision-makers, 34% identified data analytics, including cloud platforms and AI-powered solutions, as the most critical technology in 2025.[1]
  • 12.5% of transportation and storage enterprises used both cloud computing and big-data analytics, according to the OECD’s 2026 sectoral comparison of enterprise technology adoption.[6]
  • 9.5% of transportation and storage enterprises used big-data analytics alone in the OECD’s 2026 cross-sector comparison, based on the latest available enterprise data.[6]
  • Among global logistics decision-makers, 49% expected digitalization to improve data visibility in 2025.[1]
  • 38% of surveyed GCC logistics organizations used structured data, while 20% recognized a systematic link between data and business insights, according to a 2023 study.[7]
  • 45% of surveyed multinational logistics and supply-chain organizations said in 2024 that they were using logistics data to its full potential, according to a survey of 60 organizations.[8]

IoT in the transportation and logistics sector (sector benchmark)

  • 88% of surveyed transport respondents had developed or were developing an IoT strategy in 2024, up from 46% with a completed formal strategy in 2021.[9]
  • 53% of surveyed supply-chain professionals were using IoT devices for real-time shipment tracking in 2024, up from 25% in 2023.[10]
  • Among global logistics decision-makers, 23% identified IoT as the most critical technology in 2025.[1]
  • 48% of transport-sector respondents had adopted vehicular tracking and route optimization in 2024, according to Viasat’s State of IoT survey.[9]
  • Among global logistics decision-makers, 18% identified IoT as the most impactful technology in 2025.[1]
  • 39% of transport-sector respondents had deployed shipment or supply-chain tracking in 2024, compared with 20% that had deployed cold-chain tracking.[9]

Innovation in the boatbuilding industry

  • 1 military drone boat was produced at a Florida large-format robotic 3D-printing facility in 2026.[11]
  • $100 million is the planned investment through 2030 by Fincantieri in physical AI, robotics, digital twins and advanced manufacturing across 13 shipyards, including U.S. facilities.[12]

05 Statistics

Data & Analytics

Customer-satisfaction measurement and connected-usage data support recurring feedback loops; more than 275,000 annual customer responses feed the Marine Industry CSI program.

Business intelligence in the boatbuilding industry

  • More than 70 boat manufacturers use the five-point scale recognized by NMMA in reviewing customer-satisfaction information.[13]
  • Freedom Boat Club member trips increased 5% in 2025 compared with 2024.[14]
  • More than 1,300 dealers and distributors formed Brunswick Boat Group’s global sales network in 2024.[15]
  • $1,553.5 million was Brunswick’s Boat segment net sales in 2024, providing a core business-intelligence measure for its boat operations.[15]
  • $800.2 million was Navico Group’s 2024 net sales from marine electronics, sensors, sonar, radar, displays and related products.[15]
  • More than 640,000 member trips were recorded by Freedom Boat Club in 2025.[14]

Data analytics in the boatbuilding industry

  • Nearly 1 million nautical miles of connected-fleet usage data had been generated by Groupe Beneteau’s Seanapps boats by 2023.[16]
  • Around 8,000 boats were generating connected usage data through Groupe Beneteau’s Seanapps platform in 2023.[16]
  • More than 275,000 annual customer responses provide data for participating manufacturers in the Marine Industry CSI program.[17]
  • More than 175,000 customer responses were collected for the 2023 NMMA CSI dealer-satisfaction reporting period.[13]

Data Quality in the transportation and logistics sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across supply management organizations, 49% rated their data quality as good or excellent in 2024.[18]
  • Across transportation and logistics shippers, 33% identified data quality as a top barrier to scaling artificial intelligence in 2026.[3]
  • Across supply management organizations, 67% said their data quality was better or significantly better than two years earlier in 2024.[18]
  • Across supply management organizations, 33% rated their data-security ability as very high for assuring data quality in 2024.[18]

Data Governance in the transportation and logistics sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across supply management organizations, 61% had a dedicated data-governance function in 2024.[18]
  • Across supply management organizations with a data-governance program, 81% found the program useful in 2024.[18]
  • Across supply management organizations with a data-governance function, 47% housed it in a center of excellence in 2024.[18]
  • 49% of shipper respondents said their supply chain governance maturity was running in place, with no noticeable progress, in the 2024 global survey.[19]
  • 33% of 3PL respondents said their supply chain governance maturity was running ahead, meaning proactive and predictable, in the 2024 global survey.[19]
  • 39% of 3PL respondents said their supply chain governance maturity was running in place, with no noticeable progress, in the 2024 global survey.[19]

KPIs in the boatbuilding industry

  • More than 70 boat manufacturers use the NMMA-recognized five-point scale when reviewing CSI material.[13]
  • 5 points is the standard satisfaction scale recommended by NMMA for marine customer-satisfaction measurement.[13]
  • 56 days was the June 2026 average cycle time for marine dealership work orders involving out-of-stock parts.[20]
  • 63 days was the June 2026 average cycle time for marine dealership work orders involving warranty coverage.[20]
  • 54 days was the average complete repair-cycle time recorded for boat dealers during April 2020–March 2021.[21]
  • 90% or higher was the customer-satisfaction threshold achieved by dealers receiving NMMA 2023 CSI recognition.[13]

06 Statistics

Strategy & Growth

Growth planning shows both manufacturing scale and portfolio moves; Italy’s recreational-boating turnover hit €8.60 billion in 2024, an all-time high.

Growth in the boatbuilding industry

  • €8.60 billion was Italy’s recreational-boating turnover in 2024, an all-time high.[22]
  • 3.2% was Italy’s recreational-boating turnover growth in 2024.[22]
  • 65% was Saxdor Yachts’ revenue growth from 2024 to 2025.[23]
  • 49 shipyards were building their largest vessels ever in the 2026 Global Order Book.[24]
  • €5.4 billion was the value of Italy’s new-build boat segment in 2024.[22]
  • $1,525.2 million was Brunswick’s Boat-segment net sales in 2025.[15]

Differentiation in the boatbuilding industry

  • Approximately 600 global dealers supported Polaris Marine’s brands in 2025.[14]
  • 11 boating-industry product awards were received across Brunswick’s portfolio in 2024.[15]
  • Three ISO certifications were held by MasterCraft’s boat manufacturing facility: ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001.[25]
  • 18 global manufacturing facilities assembled Polaris products in 2025.[14]
  • 10 boat models ranging from 20 to 46 feet were offered by Saxdor Yachts in 2025.[23]
  • 500-plus base models were offered across Polaris Marine’s Bennington, Godfrey and Hurricane brands in 2025.[14]

Mergers and acquisitions in the boatbuilding industry

  • €180 million was Saxdor Yachts’ 2025 revenue after its transaction with Malibu Boats was announced.[23]
  • 10 distribution centers operated in OneWater Marine’s distribution segment as of September 30, 2024.[26]
  • $100,000 was the reported initial payment for Twin Vee’s Bahama Boat Works acquisition in 2025.[27]
  • Up to $3 million in contingent consideration was reported for Twin Vee’s Bahama Boat Works acquisition in 2025.[27]
  • 81 dealerships had been acquired through 29 dealer-group acquisitions by OneWater Marine as of September 30, 2024.[26]
  • 9% of OneWater Marine’s revenue came from its distribution segment in fiscal 2024.[26]

Strategic partnerships in the boatbuilding industry

  • Two initial YOT catamaran models, the 36 and 41, were planned for the U.S. partnership with Iconic Marine Group in 2024.[28]
  • Three vendors supplied all engines under one boatbuilder’s supplier agreements in 2023.[14]
  • More than 20,000 dealers were used by Brunswick for most boat, parts and accessory sales in 2025.[15]
  • Two companies formed Sanlorenzo’s strategic partnership linking Nautor Swan’s yacht design with American Magic’s engineering expertise in 2024.[29]
  • Six independent field sales representatives managed Marine Products Corporation’s dealer relationships in 2025.[14]
  • Three boat brands—Chaparral, Robalo and both-brand dealers—were represented across Marine Products Corporation’s 192 U.S. dealers in 2025.[14]

07 Statistics

People & Workforce

Skilled-labor constraints remain a limiting factor, while workforce mix data shows U.S. ship-and-boat-building employment at 125,075 White workers in 2024.

Hiring in the boatbuilding industry

  • 3,500 employees were expected to be hired by Bath Iron Works by 2026.[30]
  • 200,000–250,000 additional maritime workers may be required in critical U.S. shipbuilding occupations over the next decade.[31]
  • 2,700 employees were expected to be hired by Portsmouth Naval Shipyard over five years, according to a 2022 workforce report.[30]

Remote Work in the transportation and logistics sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among U.S. transportation, logistics, supply-chain and storage hires, 17.0% of hires at small companies were remote during the year ending September 2024.[32]
  • Across U.S. transportation and utilities occupations, about 11% of workers worked remotely at least sometimes from October 2023 through September 2024.[33]
  • Across U.S. transportation and utilities, 20.3% of workers could work from home in 2024–2025, while 18.6% actually did so, according to annual averages.[34]
  • In the U.S. transportation and warehousing industry, 13.9% of wage and salary employees worked from home in January 2025.[35]

Hybrid Work in the transportation and logistics sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among transportation employers surveyed for the U.S. Job Outlook, 33.3% reported fully hybrid work arrangements in 2024.[36]
  • Globally, 25% of engaged employees were working in hybrid arrangements in 2025, compared with 30% of exclusively remote employees and 17% of on-site, non-remote-capable employees.[37]
  • Among U.S. remote-capable employees, 54% worked hybrid schedules in August 2026.[37]
  • Across transportation and logistics companies surveyed globally, 42% reported a hybrid work arrangement in 2025.[38]

Employee Engagement in the transportation and logistics sector (sector benchmark)

  • Globally, 20% of employees were engaged at work in 2025, while 16% were actively disengaged.[37]
  • In U.S. logistics, 40% of frontline workers wanted to quit in 2024, according to a survey of 500 logistics employees.[39]
  • In U.S. logistics, more than 60% of frontline workers considered their roles long-term career commitments in 2024.[39]
  • In U.S. logistics, 71% of frontline workers reported workplace stress in 2024.[39]
  • Across Asia-Pacific transport and logistics organizations, 62% of employees were actively engaged, based on feedback from 30,116 employees in 24 surveys.[40]

DEI in the boatbuilding industry

  • 65.2% of the U.S. ship-and-boat-building workforce was White in 2024, representing 125,075 workers.[41]
  • 15.4% of U.S. ship-and-boat-building workers were women in 2024, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics annual workforce table.[34]
  • 16.6% of U.S. ship-and-boat-building workers were Hispanic or Latino in 2024, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics annual workforce table.[34]
  • 21.2% of U.S. ship-and-boat-building workers were Black or African American in 2024, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics annual workforce table.[34]
  • 69.5% of U.S. ship-and-boat-building workers were White in 2024, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics annual workforce table.[34]

Change Management in the transportation and logistics sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across supply-chain organizations, only 15% of digital initiatives achieved at least 90% of their targeted benefits in Gartner research published in 2024.[42]
  • Among surveyed third-party logistics providers, 76% reported using a structured change-management framework in the 2025 Third-Party Logistics Study.[43]
  • Among shippers using a change-management approach, 44% reported using one of the named frameworks surveyed in 2025.[43]
  • Among surveyed shippers, 58% reported using a structured change-management framework in the 2025 Third-Party Logistics Study.[43]
  • Across large logistics organizations, 76% of transformation initiatives failed to meet critical budget, timeline or KPI metrics in a global survey conducted in late 2023.[42]

08 Statistics

Customer & Sales

Dealer service and post-purchase signals are tracked in Marine Industry CSI metrics; 90% or higher was the customer-satisfaction threshold for award recognition in 2023.

Customer experience in the boatbuilding industry

  • More than 175,000 boaters provided feedback on product quality, sales, delivery, service and support for the 2025 Marine Industry CSI program.[13]
  • 90% or higher was the customer-satisfaction rating earned by 2025 Marine Industry CSI award recipients in the United States.[13]
  • 12 recreational boating categories were covered by the 2025 Marine Industry Customer Satisfaction Index awards.[13]
  • 61 boat and engine manufacturers received 2025 Marine Industry Customer Satisfaction Index awards in the United States.[13]
  • 1 post-purchase experience survey is automatically sent for every new boat sold in a marine OEM case study.[44]

Customer acquisition in the boatbuilding industry

  • 8.3% was the average close rate for leads submitted on the marine OEM’s main brand website.[44]
  • 91 million people were identified by Discover Boating research as potentially interested in boating in the United States and Canada.[13]
  • 4.37% was the average close rate over five years for the marine OEM lead-generation program.[44]
  • 450% was the increase in lead generation over five years for the marine OEM program.[44]
  • 34% of prospects were connected directly by the concierge lead-generation program in a marine OEM case study.[44]

Lead generation in the boatbuilding industry

  • 15% of marine dealers did not track website traffic in the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas survey.[20]
  • 75% of marine dealers tracked lead sources in the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas survey.[20]
  • 60% of marine dealers tracked lead conversions in the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas survey.[20]

09 Statistics

Marketing & Brand

Marketing reach is measured at high volumes, including 7.3 billion media impressions delivered by Discover Boating in fiscal 2024.

Marketing in the boatbuilding industry

  • 7.3 billion media impressions were delivered by Discover Boating in the United States and Canada during fiscal 2024.[13]
  • Nearly 24,000 positive news stories about boating were generated by Discover Boating during fiscal 2024.[13]
  • 25 million impressions were generated by Discover Boating’s content-creator partnerships during fiscal 2024.[13]
  • 140 influential content creators partnered with Discover Boating during fiscal 2024.[13]
  • More than 5,000 pieces of boating content were created by Discover Boating across its channels during fiscal 2024.[13]

Digital marketing in the boatbuilding industry

  • 60% of marine dealers used Boat Trader in the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas survey.[20]
  • 47% of marine dealer survey mentions identified Lightspeed as the dealer-management-system provider used.[20]
  • 16% of marine dealers did not post inventory on third-party listing sites in the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas survey.[20]
  • 45% of marine dealers used Boats.com in the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas survey.[20]
  • 84% of marine dealers posted inventory on third-party listing sites in the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas survey.[20]

Branding in the boatbuilding industry

  • 33% of DiscoverBoating.com visitors were female during fiscal 2024, compared with 31% the previous year.[13]
  • 38% of DiscoverBoating.ca visitors were female during fiscal 2024, compared with 34% the previous year.[13]
  • 951,000 followers were reached across Discover Boating’s Instagram, TikTok, Meta and X audiences during fiscal 2024.[13]
  • 1,261% year-over-year growth was recorded by Discover Boating’s social-media platforms during fiscal 2024.[13]

Social media in the boatbuilding industry

  • 12.5 million social-media and creator-partnership interactions were generated by Discover Boating during fiscal 2024.[13]
  • 25 million social-media and creator-partnership impressions were generated by Discover Boating during fiscal 2024.[13]
  • 10 million YouTube views were generated by Discover Boating’s targeted boating videos during fiscal 2024.[13]
  • 951,000 social-media followers were accumulated by Discover Boating across Instagram, TikTok, Meta and X during fiscal 2024.[13]

Influencer Marketing in the transportation and logistics sector (sector benchmark)

  • 53% of U.S. B2B marketers reported a growing dedicated influencer-marketing budget in 2024 survey data.[45]
  • 29% of B2B companies planned to adopt influencer marketing within the following year in 2025, globally.[46]
  • 58% of B2B marketers selected authenticity and credibility as criteria for choosing influencers in 2025, globally.[46]
  • 43% of worldwide B2B marketers who achieved positive results said micro-influencers generated the most success in 2024.[45]
  • 49% of B2B marketers selected industry relevance as a criterion for choosing influencers in 2025, globally.[46]

10 Statistics

Operations & Execution

Execution metrics emphasize throughput and parts availability; June 2026 average cycle time was 56 days for out-of-stock parts in marine dealership work orders.

Process optimization in the boatbuilding industry

  • 766 boats represented Marine Products’ sales-order backlog at December 31, 2025, equivalent to approximately 14.7 weeks of production.[14]
  • 655 boats represented Marine Products’ sales-order backlog at December 31, 2024, equivalent to approximately 11.7 weeks of production.[14]
  • 310,000 square feet is the size of MasterCraft’s boat and trailer manufacturing facility in Vonore, Tennessee, in fiscal 2024.[14]
  • 270,000 square feet is the size of MasterCraft’s Crest and Balise manufacturing facility in Owosso, Michigan, in fiscal 2024.[14]
  • 12% lighter and 15% stronger boat structures can result from an AI-supported engineering method, according to McKinsey’s boatbuilding analysis in 2025.[31]

Operational efficiency in the boatbuilding industry

  • 10% was the average annual growth rate of U.S. new powerboat sales value from 2012 to 2024, reaching $15.5 billion in 2024.[14]
  • 2.6% was Marine Products’ net-sales decline in 2025, when production was adjusted to align with dealer demand and capacity utilization remained below potential.[14]
  • 40% was the decline in Marine Products’ unit sales in 2024, contributing to manufacturing inefficiencies and lower fixed-cost absorption.[47]
  • 81% of approximately 895,000 U.S. powerboats sold in 2024 were pre-owned, according to OneWater Marine’s market description.[14]
  • 2.2 percentage points was MasterCraft’s fiscal-2025 gross-margin decline caused partly by lower production volume and reduced cost absorption.[14]

Quality management in the boatbuilding industry

  • 3 ISO standards—9001, 14001 and 45001—were held by MasterCraft’s Vonore, Tennessee, boat manufacturing facility in fiscal 2024.[14]
  • 2 years is the bow-to-stern warranty period for Cobalt boats under Malibu Boats’ fiscal-2025 warranty terms.[14]
  • 67% of non-hazardous waste was recycled by Beneteau Group in 2024 across the reported group operations.[16]
  • 2 years is the bow-to-stern warranty period for Pursuit boats under Malibu Boats’ fiscal-2025 warranty terms.[14]
  • 5 years is the maximum limited warranty period for Malibu and Axis boats under Malibu Boats’ fiscal-2025 warranty terms.[14]

Supply chain in the boatbuilding industry

  • 1 supplier, Mercury Marine, was MasterCraft’s largest engine supplier for its Crest brand in fiscal 2024.[14]
  • 76% of Marine Products’ domestic shipments used dealer floor-plan financing arrangements in 2025.[14]
  • 5.6% was Marine Products’ international-sales share in 2024, compared with 5.9% in 2023 and 6.7% in 2022.[14]
  • 3 material categories—fiberglass, aluminum and resins—were among the principal raw materials purchased by MasterCraft for boat production in fiscal 2024.[14]
  • 250 basis points of Brunswick’s 2025 gross-margin decline were attributed to material inflation, including tariffs.[14]

Outsourcing / Offshoring in the transportation and logistics sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across surveyed logistics companies in Germany, the rest of Europe and Latin America, 57% planned outsourcing projects in warehousing in 2026.[48]
  • Across surveyed logistics companies in Germany, the rest of Europe and Latin America, 25% had fully outsourced warehouse operations in 2026.[48]
  • Across surveyed logistics companies in Germany, the rest of Europe and Latin America, about 60% had fully outsourced transportation services in 2026.[48]
  • Across surveyed logistics companies in Germany, the rest of Europe and Latin America, 65% expected outsourcing to continue increasing in 2026.[48]

11 Statistics

Finance & Pricing

Price and mix help offset softer volumes; Brunswick’s Boat-segment net sales decreased 1.8% year over year to $1.525 billion while mix and price contributed 2.1%.

Pricing strategy in the boatbuilding industry

  • 9.2% was the increase in Marine Products’ average gross selling price per boat between 2024 and 2025.[14]
  • $93,600 was Marine Products’ average gross selling price per boat in 2025, compared with $85,700 in 2024.[14]
  • $339,000 was OneWater Marine’s average new-boat selling price in fiscal 2025, up from approximately $327,000 in fiscal 2024.[14]
  • 10% was the average annual growth rate in U.S. new powerboat sales value from 2012 through 2024, reaching $15.5 billion in 2024.[14]
  • $93,000 was the estimated U.S. industry average new-boat selling price for calendar 2024 cited by OneWater Marine.[14]

Cost reduction in the boatbuilding industry

  • 4.7% was the decline in Marine Products’ 2025 net income margin from 7.5% in 2024 and 10.9% in 2023, amid lower production and cost pressures.[14]
  • 10% was MasterCraft’s fiscal-2024 targeted annual cost-reduction process measure for supplier relationships, as described in its supplier-management program.[14]
  • 88.4 million dollars was the strategic impairment charge recorded by Malibu Boats in fiscal 2024 related to Maverick Boat Group.[14]
  • 2.5 percentage points was Brunswick’s 2025 material-inflation impact on Boat-segment gross margin, including tariffs.[14]
  • 4.7% was Brunswick’s 2025 Boat-segment operating margin decline in basis-point terms from 2024, as reported through its 2025 gross-margin discussion.[14]

Profitability in the boatbuilding industry

  • $45.5 million was Marine Products’ gross profit in 2024, down from $90.4 million in 2023.[47]
  • 15.8% was OneWater Marine’s new-boat gross-profit margin in fiscal 2025, down from 17.6% in fiscal 2024.[14]
  • 19.2% was Marine Products’ gross margin in 2024, down from 23.6% in 2023.[47]
  • 17.8% was Malibu Boats’ fiscal-2025 gross margin, compared with 17.7% in fiscal 2024 and 25.3% in fiscal 2023.[14]
  • 18.0% was OneWater Marine’s pre-owned-boat gross-profit margin in fiscal 2025, down from 20.5% in fiscal 2024.[14]

Financial planning in the boatbuilding industry

  • $68.9 million was the estimated value of Marine Products’ sales-order backlog at December 31, 2025.[14]
  • $53.4 million was the estimated value of Marine Products’ sales-order backlog at December 31, 2024.[14]
  • 76% of Marine Products’ domestic shipments were supported by dealer floor-plan financing in 2025.[14]
  • 11.7 weeks was Marine Products’ estimated production-equivalent backlog at December 31, 2024.[14]
  • $1,553.5 million was Brunswick’s Boat-segment net sales in 2024.[14]

12 Statistics

Product & Service

Connected products feed future development; around 8,000 boats were fitted with Groupe Beneteau’s Seanapps to generate usage data by 2023.

Product development in the boatbuilding industry

  • Brunswick expected commercial release of its autonomous docking technology system in 2025 after development and validation work in 2024.[15]
  • Brunswick’s Boat segment generated $1,553.5 million in net sales in 2024 while managing and optimizing its recreational boat portfolio.[15]
  • Over 100 new products were launched by Brunswick across its Boat Group, Mercury Marine, Navico Group and Flite businesses in 2024.[15]
  • Around 8,000 boats were fitted with Groupe Beneteau’s Seanapps connected solution, creating usage data for future product development.[16]
  • Brunswick invested $167 million in capital expenditures for new products and growth projects in 2024.[14]

Product lifecycle in the boatbuilding industry

  • Timber used for interior fittings represents 10% to 15% of the mass of Groupe Beneteau boats.[16]
  • The actual mass of finished Groupe Beneteau boats is generally 10% to 20% higher than light craft mass because of customer-selected options.[16]
  • Groupe Beneteau reported product circular-economy indicators under ESRS E5 beginning in 2023.[16]
  • The APER organization has operated since 2009 to support environmentally responsible end-of-life management for recreational boats in France.[16]
  • Groupe Beneteau operated more than 500 boats across approximately 50 bases through its sharing-economy activities in 2023.[16]

After-sales in the boatbuilding industry

  • 759 boat dealers received NMMA 2023 awards for excellence in continued service.[13]
  • 90% or higher was the independently measured customer-satisfaction standard required for NMMA CSI award recognition in 2023.[13]
  • More than 275,000 customer surveys are sent annually through the Marine Industry Customer Satisfaction Index program for participating boat and engine manufacturers.[17]
  • More than 175,000 customers were surveyed for the 2023 Marine Industry Customer Satisfaction Index reporting period.[13]
  • 54 days was the average complete repair-cycle time reported by U.S. boat dealers during April 2020–March 2021.[21]

Value proposition in the boatbuilding industry

  • 4.2 out of 5 was the overall boat-ownership satisfaction score in a 2022 U.S. boater journey study.[49]
  • Between 67 and negative 55 were the Net Promoter Scores reported by long-term owners preferring a different boat brand or dealer.[50]
  • 85 was the highest Net Promoter Score reported for long-term boat owners satisfied with both their boat brand and dealer.[50]
  • 0.76 was the correlation between overall boat satisfaction and a low or negative Net Promoter Score in Rollick’s marine-industry analysis.[50]
  • 44% of respondents in a 2022 U.S. boater journey study were completely satisfied with their overall boat-ownership experience.[49]

13 Statistics

Sustainability & Ethics

Sustainability reporting combines sourcing and emissions tracking; Brunswick matched 74% of companywide electricity consumption with renewable sources in 2025.

Sustainability in the boatbuilding industry

  • 65% of surveyed boatbuilding companies said they undertake life-cycle analysis of boats or products in 2022.[51]
  • 30% of surveyed boatbuilding companies reported implementing energy-efficiency measures in 2022.[51]
  • 55% of surveyed boatbuilding companies said they were not doing enough to reduce environmental impacts, according to a 2022 industry survey.[51]
  • 55% of surveyed boatbuilding companies had a renewable-energy tariff in 2022.[51]
  • 70% of surveyed boatbuilding companies were trying to reduce products considered toxic to human health in 2022.[51]

ESG in the boatbuilding industry

  • 73/100 was Groupe Beneteau’s 2024 sustainability-assessment score, up 3 points from 2023 and 21 points from 2022.[16]
  • 74% of Brunswick Corporation’s companywide electricity consumption was matched with renewable sources in 2025.[15]
  • 70/100 was Groupe Beneteau’s 2024 EcoVadis score, 15 points higher than its previous assessment in 2022.[16]

CSR in the boatbuilding industry

  • 1,200 Groupe Beneteau employees from all countries registered for the company’s employee-engagement platform in 2024.[16]
  • 56% of Groupe Beneteau’s purchases in 2024 were placed with suppliers whose corporate-social-responsibility approach had been formally assessed.[16]

Circular economy in the boatbuilding industry

  • 2%–3% of recreational boats in the United States reach the end of their usable life each year, equivalent to approximately 200,000 boats annually.[52]
  • Nearly 20 metric tons of fiberglass from end-of-life boats were recycled in New England through a NOAA-supported program.[52]
  • 43% of surveyed boatbuilding companies purchased sustainably sourced timber in 2022.[51]
  • 53% of surveyed boatbuilding companies had end-of-life plans for waste streams in 2022.[51]
  • 39% of surveyed boatbuilding companies used recycled-content materials as a principal input for a product or process in 2022.[51]

Carbon footprint in the boatbuilding industry

  • 6,000 metric tons of CO2-equivalent location-based Scope 2 emissions were reported for Groupe Beneteau’s boat division in 2024.[16]
  • 48% was Brunswick Corporation’s reduction in combined Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions between 2022 and 2025.[15]
  • 663 metric tons of CO2-equivalent per million euros was Groupe Beneteau’s boat-division emissions intensity in 2024.[16]
  • 17,000 metric tons of CO2-equivalent Scope 1 emissions were reported for Groupe Beneteau’s boat division in 2024.[16]
  • 442,000 metric tons of CO2-equivalent came from use of products sold in Groupe Beneteau’s boat-division Scope 3 inventory in 2024.[16]

15 Statistics

Globalization & Expansion

Overseas exposure stays high for European production; 89% of Italian boatbuilding production was destined for foreign markets in 2024.

Globalization in the boatbuilding industry

  • $744.4 million was Brunswick’s sales in Europe in 2024.[15]
  • 4.5% of Marine Products Corporation’s net sales came from international markets in 2025.[14]
  • $312.8 million was Brunswick’s sales in the rest of the world in 2024.[15]
  • $357.1 million was Brunswick’s sales in Asia-Pacific in 2024.[15]
  • 89% of Italian boatbuilding production was destined for foreign markets in 2024.[22]

Cultural adaptation in the boatbuilding industry

  • Brunswick’s European, Canadian, Asia-Pacific and rest-of-world sales totaled $1.6895 billion in 2024.[15]
  • 18% of Brunswick’s non-U.S. sales came from its boat business in 2024.[15]
  • 44% of Brunswick’s non-U.S. sales came from propulsion products in 2024.[15]
  • €2.55 billion, or 29.7% of Italy’s recreational-boating turnover, was generated by domestic demand in 2024.[22]
  • 89% of Italian boatbuilding production was directed to foreign markets in 2024, requiring adaptation to overseas markets and customers.[22]

Supplier management in the boatbuilding industry

  • S$2.1 million was spent on Supplier A’s mechanical components in FY2024.[61]
  • 8.1% of the boatbuilder’s total cost of sales came from Supplier A’s mechanical components in FY2024.[61]
  • 9.7% of a boatbuilder’s total cost of sales came from Supplier A’s mechanical components in FY2025.[61]
  • 9.8% of the boatbuilder’s total cost of sales came from Supplier A’s mechanical components in FY2023.[61]
  • S$2.6 million was spent on Supplier A’s mechanical components in FY2025.[61]

Stakeholder management in the boatbuilding industry

  • €8.60 billion was Italy’s recreational-boating turnover in 2024.[22]
  • 3.2% was the increase in Italy’s recreational-boating turnover in 2024.[22]
  • €7.40 billion was the Italian boating industry’s contribution to national GDP in 2024.[22]
  • 87.8% of Italy’s recreational-boating turnover came from domestic production in 2024.[22]
  • 68 shipyards in eight countries were visited for the 2026 Global Order Book, covering 653 projects.[24]

Distribution channels in the boatbuilding industry

  • One MasterCraft dealer accounted for approximately 15.1% of fiscal-2024 net sales.[25]
  • MasterCraft’s ten largest dealers accounted for approximately 40% of net sales in fiscal 2024.[25]
  • OneWater Marine’s dealership segment represented approximately 92% of revenue in fiscal 2025.[14]
  • Marine Products Corporation had 84 international dealers in 2025.[14]
  • Marine Products Corporation operated through approximately 192 U.S. dealers in 2025.[14]

Key questions about the Boatbuilding Industry

What is the U.S. boatbuilding market size and employment footprint?
The U.S. small ship and boatbuilding sector included 1,213 small businesses, about 50,000 workers, and $14.7 billion in revenue in 2025.
How did U.S. new-boat demand change after normalization?
In 2025, U.S. new-boat retail sales fell 8.8% year over year to 215,237 units, down from 236,070 in 2024.
Which companies lead the boatbuilding industry?
Fincantieri leads Gitnux's 2026 boatbuilding ranking with an Overall score of 9.3, with revenue growth 13.1% and operating margin 4%. Damen Shipyards Group is the runner-up at 9.1, with revenue growth 7.6%.
What technology shifts show up in marine operations and dealer work?
Dealers reported 56 days average cycle time for out-of-stock parts in June 2026 and 63 days for warranty-covered work, reflecting operational pressure where automation and data use can matter.
How fragmented is the market, and how concentrated is dealer distribution?
The market remains highly fragmented: the U.S. SBA counted 1,213 small ship and boat builders in 2025, while distribution is supported by dealer networks such as Brunswick’s more than 1,300 dealers and distributors.
How do pricing and volume move together in current results?
Brunswick’s Boat segment showed a 4.6% volume decline offset by a 2.1% positive contribution from product mix and price, with net sales down 1.8% year over year to $1.525 billion.
Reference

Cite This Report

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APA
Elif Demirci. (2026, February 13). Boatbuilding Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/boatbuilding-industry-statistics
MLA
Elif Demirci. "Boatbuilding Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/boatbuilding-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Elif Demirci. 2026. "Boatbuilding Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/boatbuilding-industry-statistics.

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