The recreational boating market in Spain saw 4,617 new registrations between January and October 2025, a 2.7% decrease compared to the same period in 2024.
The figures are from the Recreational Boating Market Report (January-October 2025), published by Spanish boating association ANEN based on data provided by the Directorate General of the Merchant Marine.
Despite the year-on-year decline, the rate of registrations has stabilised after the correction of the previous year, when the decrease reached just over 17% compared to 2023.
The small boat segment up to 6 metres in length continues to lead the market, with 3,242 registrations (70.2% of the total), followed by the 6 to 8 meter segment with an 18.1% share of the market.
The 8 to 12 meter segment had an 8% share of the market.
From a trend perspective, the charter market is showing greater difficulty in recovering to pre-pandemic levels, compared to a more stable private-use market.
Jordi Carrasco
In particular, inflatable boats reflected a strong performance, with registrations growing almost 50% over the last ten years, on the other hand, jet ski registrations declined by 11.4%, motorboat registrations fell 4.7%, RIB registrations fell 7%, and sailboat registrations declined 8.3%.
Despite the drop, motorboats remain the strongest segment, accounting for 41% of total registrations.
The charter market, with 1,368 registrations through October 2025, has suffered a 20% year-on-year decrease with the decline particularly affecting registrations of boats over 16 meters. These fell by 32% and registrations of boats up to 6 meters in length fell 23.5%.
Despite the decline, the charter accounts for almost 30% of total registrations.
Fundamental pillar
“From a trend perspective, the charter market is showing greater difficulty in recovering to pre-pandemic levels, compared to a more stable private-use market, although supported by smaller vessels. Even so, the charter market remains a fundamental pillar of recreational boating in Spain,” explained Jordi Carrasco, CEO of ANEN.
“After the strong boost that chartering experienced during the pandemic, we are now observing a stabilisation of the market, with logical adjustments that reflect a greater normalisation of demand.”
He added: “Interest in boating continues to grow, but users are looking for more diversified experiences, and this will shape the evolution of the charter market in the coming months.”
By province, the Balearic Islands remain the leading national nautical market, with 622 registrations – 13.5% of the total.
The Balearic Islands are followed by Barcelona with 542 registrations, Murcia with 439 registrations, and Alicante with 383.
Notable increases
Regarding registration growth, the most notable increases were recorded in Murcia (+80%), Huelva (+42.1%), Cantabria (+29.3%), Cádiz (+27.8%), and Alicante (+16.4%).
In the charter market, the Balearic Islands continue to account for almost a quarter of the total national nautical market (22.7%), despite a 23.5% decrease in registrations during the January-October 2025 period.
Barcelona follows with 13.8% of the market, a 19.3% drop in registrations; and Alicante had 12.4% of the market.
The growth in registrations of charter boats in Almería (41.7%), Murcia (17.5%), and Alicante (15%) stands out, strengthening their position in this market.
