TRIESTE – The global recreational boating market is slowing after the post-pandemic rebound and stood at €33.3 billion in 2025, down 2.1% compared with 2023. Moving against the trend, however, is the Italian boatbuilding industry: production exceeded €5 billion, with growth of 5% over the 2023-2025 period, driven above all by the superyacht segment.
This is what emerges from the fourth edition of the “The State of the Art of the Global Yachting Market” report, produced by Deloitte in collaboration with Confindustria Nautica and presented today at the Italian Stock Exchange headquarters in Milan.
The figure that consolidates Italy’s leadership concerns superyachts: in 2025, Italian shipyards hold 56% of global orders in terms of units and 36% of the global market value, up from 34% in 2024. Italy also accounts for 62% of new global superyacht orders and continues to dominate the 30- to 60-metre range.
Growth is supported above all by specialisation in the high-end segment. Around 70% of Italian production is in fact attributable to large yachts and superyachts, which are considered less exposed to economic fluctuations than the entry-level and mid-size segments, currently more affected by the slowdown in international demand.
National production is estimated at between €5.4 billion and €5.5 billion in 2025, while the inboard segment accounts for 93% of Italian production, compared with a global average of 56%. This confirms the premium positioning of Italian boatbuilding.
Exports also remain decisive: around 90% of boats produced in Italy are destined for foreign markets and 70% of exports go to countries outside the European Union. In 2024, the yachting sector contributed 8.6% to Italy’s trade surplus, with average annual growth in the trade balance of 14.4% over the 2015-2024 period, well above the national average.
According to the report, the slowdown in the global market is mainly linked to the deceleration of the outboard segment, only partly offset by the resilience of the premium range and superyachts. In 2024, the inboard segment consolidated its central role, reaching 59% of the global market, while North America and Europe together continued to account for 75% of the global market for new boats.
Looking ahead, 2026 is expected to mark a further stabilisation phase, with a slight decline estimated at 0.7%. From 2027 to 2029, a gradual recovery in global demand is instead expected, with average annual growth of around 3%, supported mainly by medium-large boats and the high-end segment.
However, attention remains high on geopolitical and trade risks. According to Deloitte, tariffs and international tensions could affect the sector’s margins, modify shipyards’ commercial strategies and increase pressure on raw-material costs.
«The Italian yachting industry continues to strengthen its positioning in a complex international context», said Confindustria Nautica president Piero Formenti, highlighting the resilience of the high-value-added superyacht segment.
The financial world is also urging yachting companies to look with greater interest at the capital market. According to Roberta Laveneziana, Listing Senior Account Manager Mid & Small Cap at Borsa Italiana, listing could help the sector finance growth, innovation and generational transitions, strengthening the international competitiveness of the Italian supply chain.
