A record headline hides very different market conditions
Confindustria Nautica says total Italian leisure-marine revenue across boatbuilding, engines and equipment reached €8.72 billion in 2025, compared with €8.60 billion a year earlier. Domestic boatbuilding production accounted for €5.47 billion, representing growth of 0.5 percent across the year.
The association stresses that the industry can no longer be described by one uniform trend. Inboard yacht construction continued to grow, while outboard boats, inflatable craft and sailing segments remained under pressure, making the overall record more dependent on stronger categories and international demand.
Exports reached a new €4.4 billion high
Boatbuilding exports rose to €4.4 billion in 2025, up 2.6 percent, with Confindustria Nautica putting the export share of Italian yacht production at 90 percent. Italy's share of global leisure-yacht exports is reported at 21.3 percent, underlining how strongly domestic yards depend on international customers.
That export exposure matters directly to LYG builders because the 12-to-24-metre market is highly international. Exchange rates, finance costs and consumer confidence in Northern Europe, North America and other buyer regions can therefore influence Italian production even when domestic marinas and boat shows remain busy.
Equipment remains a €2.03 billion industry of its own
Marine accessories and equipment generated €2.03 billion in revenue, growing 0.4 percent, while Italian production in the segment reached €1.54 billion. Around 47 percent of that equipment output went to export markets, showing how Italian suppliers participate in yacht construction well beyond domestic shipyards.
For owners, this supplier layer influences far more than visible styling. Stabilisation, steering, deck machinery, electronics, glazing, furniture and propulsion integration all depend on specialist companies, so the health of the component sector affects build quality, delivery times and after-sales support across the production-yacht market.
Employment rose even as demand became more selective
Direct employment in the Italian leisure-marine industry increased by 3 percent to 32,420 people, while the wider marine supply chain is estimated at around 170,000 jobs. Confindustria Nautica identifies specialist skills and workforce development as important constraints as the industrial base becomes more technically complex.
For LYG readers, the most important message is the split inside the headline record. Italy remains a powerful yacht-building and equipment centre, but buyers and builders in the 12-to-24-metre sector are operating in a market where demand is more selective, making value, service support and product differentiation increasingly important.
Official sources: confindustrianautica.net; pressmare.it.
