In this section you will find interesting Facts & Figures about the boating and leisure marine industry in Europe.

Here are some key figures of the leisure marine industry in Europe:

• Approximately 37,200 businesses in the whole boating industry

• Over 234,000 direct employees

• Nearly 20 billion EUR of turnover (23.4 billion EUR before the crisis 2008-2009)

• Approximately 3,000 yards in the boatbuilding segment, employing over 46,000 people

• Approximately 6 billion EUR of turnover from boatbuilding

• 97% of these businesses are small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)

• Steady average growth rate of 6% every year in Europe (figure before the crisis 2008-2009)
  

• Highly internationalised industry with 3:1 export ratio in its favour in trans-Atlantic trade

• 48 million European citizens regularly practice recreational marine activities, such as boating but also wind and kitesurfing, canoeing, diving, etc. with respect for the environment

• 36 million European people practice boating (sailing or motorboating)

• EU boat ownership (per capita) is 1:164

• 6.3 million boats are kept in Europe, with a vast majority of small boats

• Some 4,500 marinas provide 1.75 million berths in European waters (whether inland or on coastal areas)
  

• Marinas are distributed over the European continent as follows: 2,000 marinas in Northern Europe, 800 on the Atlantic coast, and 1,200 marinas in the Mediterranean sea

Source: ICOMIA Statistics Book 2010 - For sale on www.icomia.com