U.S. Boat Sales Continued to Cruise in 2019; No Slow Down Expected in 2020

• January 7, 2020

Last updated on April 20, 2025

According to the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA), boat sales in the US remained steady at 280 thousand units in 2019. That’s the second highest total since 2007—and experts don’t expect the trend to slow down anytime soon.

“Sales in 2019 were nearly on par with the 11-year high we saw in 2018, even with some softening particularly in the freshwater fishing category, which we attribute to unseasonably cold and rainy weather in spring and early summer. Looking at 2020, with the economy on solid footing and key economic indicators like consumer spending remaining strong, we expect another healthy year for new boat sales, which could be up as much as 2 percent,” said Frank Hugelmeyer, NMMA president. “

Both personal watercraft and wake boat sales are expected to rise 6 percent each this year—a continued trend from 2019, while cruiser sales are also expected to see continued growth. It isn’t all good news, however, as freshwater fishing boat sales are expected to slump around 7 percent in 2020.

The pre-owned boat market was also hot in the U.S. The NMMA estimates that 975,000 were sold last year—and that there are now almost 12 million boats registered and documented in the U.S.

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