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Recreational Boat & Yacht building in Ireland - Market Size, Industry Analysis, Trends and Forecasts (2025-2029)

IBISWorld IBISWorld London, United Kingdom Last Updated: April 2025 SIC IE-C3012

Revenue

€12.0bn

2025

€12.0bn

Past 5-Year Growth

Profit

€XXX.Xm

Employees

65,132

Businesses

4,680

Wages

€X.Xbn

Recreational Boat & Yacht building in Ireland industry analysis

The recreational boat and yacht building industry has registered a mixed performance, mainly because of pandemic-related disruptions. The sector's most important market is high-net-worth individuals around the world. The wealthy increasingly acquire yachts, and the super-rich even opt for giga yachts that are over 100 meters long. The increasing spread of the income gap in favour of the already rich and high-income earners is a highly positive development from the industry's point of view, as it means that the buying power of the core target group is increasing in proportion. However, sinking disposable incomes have recently weighed on the motorboat segment.

Trends and Insights

  • Import and exports tank over 2022, weighing on revenue growth. Supply chain stalls meant shipyards struggled to keep production going, with builders having to confront their clients with longer delivery times, weighing on trade volumes and export revenue in 2022.
  • US tariffs of 20% on European boats and yachts, paused until July 2025, would sharply reduce the competitiveness of EU-built vessels in the US market. Major Italian, German and Dutch brands, like Riva, Pershing and Ferretti, are seeing their products become 10–20% more expensive, likely leading to a drop in US exports.
  • The boat and yacht building industry faces low concentration. Because of the various types and sizes of motorboats and yacht manufacturers in this industry, it is nearly impossible for boat builders to hold a substantial market share.
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Top Questions Answered in this Report

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What is the market size of the Recreational Boat & Yacht building industry in Ireland in 2025?

The market size of the Recreational Boat & Yacht building industry in Ireland is €12.0bn in 2025.

How many businesses are there in the Recreational Boat & Yacht building industry in Ireland in 2025?

There are 4,680 businesses in the Recreational Boat & Yacht building industry in Ireland, which has declined at a CAGR of 0.5 % between 2020 and 2025.

Has the Recreational Boat & Yacht building industry in Ireland grown or declined over the past 5 years?

The market size of the Recreational Boat & Yacht building industry in Ireland has been growing at a CAGR of 0.7 % between 2020 and 2025.

What is the forecast growth of the Recreational Boat & Yacht building industry in Ireland over the next 5 years?

Over the next five years, the Recreational Boat & Yacht building industry in Ireland is expected to grow.

What does the Recreational Boat & Yacht building industry in Ireland include?

Motor Yatchts and Motorboats and Sailing Boats are part of the Recreational Boat & Yacht building industry in Ireland.

How competitive is the Recreational Boat & Yacht building industry in Ireland?

The level of competition is moderate and increasing in the Recreational Boat & Yacht building industry in Ireland.

Everything you need in one report

  • Reliable market estimates from 2015-2030
  • Competitive analysis, industry segmentation, financial benchmarks
  • Powerful SWOT, Porter’s Five Forces and risk management frameworks
  • Online membership platform with PDF, Word, Excel and PPT exports

Table of Contents

External Environment

Highlights

Trends
  • Regulation & Policy
  • Assistance

Key Takeaways

Most manufacturers have to abide by EU regulations. Most product-related regulations in the industry are based on the EU's Directive 2013/53/EU, the so-called Recreational Craft Directive, which sets out various points that must be tested and observed when building boats and yachts.

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External Drivers

Analysis

What demographic and macroeconomic factors impact the Recreational Boat & Yacht building in Ireland industry?

Financial Benchmarks

Highlights

Trends
  • Profit Margin
  • Average Wage
  • Largest Cost

Key Takeaways

Manufacturers can pass on cost increases to downstream clients, protecting profit. Most builders have defended themselves against soaring input inflation in recent years by entering into fixed-priced agreements or offloading high input costs onto high-income clients.

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Cost Structure

Charts
  • Share of Economy vs. Investment Matrix
  • Industry Cost Structure Benchmarks:
    • Marketing
    • Depreciation
    • Profit
    • Purchases
    • Wages
    • Rent
    • Utilities
    • Other
Analysis

What trends impact cost in the Recreational Boat & Yacht building in Ireland industry?


Key Ratios

Data tables
  • IVA/Revenue (2015-2030)
  • Imports/Demand (2015-2030)
  • Exports/Revenue (2015-2030)
  • Revenue per Employee (2015-2030)
  • Wages/Revenue (2015-2030)
  • Employees per Establishment (2015-2030)
  • Average Wage (2015-2030)

Country Benchmarks

European Leaders & Laggards

Data Tables

Top and bottom five countries listed for each:

  • Revenue Growth (2025)
  • Business Growth (2025)
  • Job Growth (2025)

European Country Performance

Data Tables

Rankings available for 37 countries. Statistics ranked include:

  • IVA/Revenue (2025)
  • Imports/Demand (2025)
  • Exports/Revenue (2025)
  • Revenue per Employee (2025)
  • Wages/Revenue (2025)
  • Employees per Establishment (2025)
  • Average Wage (2025)

Structural Comparison

Data Tables

Trends in 37 countries benchmarked against trends in Europe

  • Concentration
  • Competition
  • Barriers to Entry
  • Buyer Power
  • Supplier Power
  • Volatility
  • Capital Intensity
  • Innovation
  • Life Cycle

Key Statistics

Industry Data

Data Tables

Including values and annual change:

  • Revenue (2015-2030)
  • IVA (2015-2030)
  • Establishments (2015-2030)
  • Enterprises (2015-2030)
  • Employment (2015-2030)
  • Exports (2015-2030)
  • Imports (2015-2030)
  • Wages (2015-2030)

Methodology

Where does IBISWorld source its data?

IBISWorld is a world-leading provider of business information, with reports on 5,000+ industries in Australia, New Zealand, North America, Europe and China. Our expert industry analysts start with official, verified and publicly available sources of data to build an accurate picture of each industry.

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