The Boating Industry Association Ltd (BIA) released the State of the Industry Data Report on 31 July 2026, showcasing a national turnover of $10.5 billion for the year 2025-26, maintaining stability from the previous record year.
BIA CEO Andrew Fielding highlighted that the report, launched at the Sydney Boat Show, reflects sustained business activity across the sector over the past 12 months.
Currently, 23,500 individuals are employed directly within the boating industry, alongside an additional 11,500 in contractor roles supporting over 2000 businesses nationwide. Furthermore, there are more than 1350 in formal training roles, which are vital for future workforce development.
Fielding noted that 75% of these employment opportunities are found in small, family-run businesses, which contribute significantly to local economies and communities. Many of these businesses operate in regional areas, bolstering tourism-related spending in boating activities.
The boating industry encompasses a diverse range of roles, including designers, manufacturers, importers, brokers, insurers, retailers, charter services, yacht and boat clubs, marinas, and surveyors, representing numerous local and global brands while catering to a growing boating community.
Australia boasts over 2.5 million individuals licensed to operate a powerboat, nearly 1 million registered vessels, and a myriad of non-motorised craft like small paddle and sail boats which are exempt from registration or licensing.
Key statistics from the data report card include:
- 25% of businesses are involved in new, used, and brokerage boat sales.
- 15% of businesses operate in marine trades.
- 1 in 10 Australians holds a boat licence.
- Over 950,000 registered boats are in operation.
- A growth rate of 20% in personal watercraft registrations has been noted over the past five years.
- 85% of boats are under 6 metres in length.
- 60% of boating trips last up to 4 hours.
The boating industry data report card integrates insights from BIA Boating Data powered by DECKEE, which analyses over 6 billion real-time and historical data points. This data assists businesses and organisations in achieving economic, safety, and environmental objectives.
For further details, download the Industry Data Report Card
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