The National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) says that boat sales totalled C$3.7bn for 2015 in Canada. Sara Anghel, executive director of NMMA Canada, delivered a state-of-the-industry address at a breakfast for the opening of the Toronto International Boat Show. The data was compiled from the Canadian Recreational Boating Statistical Abstract for 2015.

There were 38,000 new boats sold during 2015, with an estimated retail value of C$2.1bn. Those numbers represent a 5.4% decline compared to 2014, though the dollar value was up 3.8%. Anghel said that the unit decline in new-boat sales was largely due to the Canadian/US dollar exchange rate, which has prompted many Canadians to head south of the border to purchase new boats. Sales of new personal watercraft, however, rose 10.2% for the year.

The NMMA said that 64,312 pre-owned boats totalling C$1.06bn were sold in Canada last year. That represents a 7% increase in unit sales and a 21.2% increase in dollars over 2014.

“The data confirms that recreational boating remains a significant part of the Canadian economy, while providing us with insights on how we can continue to grow as an industry,” said Anghel. “Pre-owned boats and personal watercraft tend to be points of entry for new boaters and with sales of these categories seeing healthy increases, alongside rising boater participation, this signals that boating continues to be an attractive recreational activity to Canadians.”

Anghel added that Canadians’ participation in recreational boating has risen to 43% of the adult population, or 12.4 million people, up from 35% in 2011-2012.

Outboard engine unit sales were up across all provinces/territories with significant volume except Quebec (down 3.1%), Saskatchewan (down 9.6%), and the Northwest Territories (down 28.1%). The declines in these three areas offset growth in others. National outboard sales were relatively unchanged from 2014. Both units and dollars were down 0.1%.

The NMMA study added that 75% of boaters in Canada have some post-secondary education, 68% were employed at least part time, and 62% are married. These numbers are higher than corresponding categories in the non-boating population. The report said that 59% of boaters have combined household incomes of less than C$100,000.

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