NASBLA Public Library

Registration & Titling Statistics

By: Jack Ellis, InfoLink

Despite the increase in new boat sales these past couple of years, the U.S. recreational boat fleet is aging. Today, the average registered boat is 22 years old, up from an average of 14 years old, twenty years ago. Much of this can be attributed to longer-lasting materials and more reliable technology. Fiberglass and other composites replaced wood while engine technology improved significantly. A twenty-year-old boat is no longer considered to be old, and most boats being built today will likely last even longer.

The automobile market experienced a similar phenomenon, albeit not as dramatic. According to IHS Markit, a company that tracks vehicle registrations, the average passenger car was 12 years old in 2021, the oldest since they started tracking this metric 20 years ago. Like boats, many in the auto industry attribute this to a better, more reliable product.