The global yacht market has matured well past its pandemic-era rebound. What has emerged in its place is something more durable: a structural shift toward value rather than volume, anchored by superyacht demand but evident across regional markets, including New Zealand.
Mid-February reporting from Boat International puts global brokerage yacht sales at €7.5 billion in 2025. Transaction volumes have pulled back from the frenetic pace seen during the pandemic years, but total market value has held firm, driven by buyers gravitating toward larger vessels with higher specification fitouts.
Global Market Insights values the yacht market at USD 12.4 billion in 2024 and forecasts expansion to USD 22.7 billion by 2034, representing a compound annual growth rate of 6.4 percent. Superyachts alone are expected to grow at more than 10 percent per year, with vessels exceeding 50 metres proving particularly resilient to broader economic headwinds.
*Value over volume*
Between 2020 and 2022, pandemic-era demand caused yacht sales to more than double compared with 2019 levels. That surge has since normalised, but the market did not simply retreat. Instead it consolidated upward. The 24 to 45 metre segment now commands more than 64 percent of global market share. Larger yachts continue to change hands at strong prices, while smaller and older vessels are taking longer to sell and attracting greater price sensitivity from buyers.
Earlier this year, Yachtfinders Global pointed out that the shift is not purely about length on deck. Buyer behaviour has changed in step with technology and expectations. Digital engagement, polished online presentation and the ability to negotiate remotely have all become standard practice. Experienced buyers are also placing greater weight on documented maintenance history, build integrity and long-term value retention.
Lifestyle patterns are reshaping demand as well. Many yachts are now operated primarily by couples rather than larger family groups, which has lifted interest globally in manageable double-handed layouts, day boats and picnic boats.
*New Zealand mirrors global trends*
Closer to home, the New Zealand market is tracking the same broad trajectory. Data from 36 Degrees Brokers shows motor yachts over 10 metres priced above NZD 500,000 performing strongly, with sedans, game fishing configurations and shaft drive layouts attracting particular attention. High-quality new builds and vessels around two years old are in demand, and buyer satisfaction appears high, with a reported buyers' remorse rate of just five percent.
The picture is less encouraging at the lower end of the market. Motor yachts priced below NZD 200,000 have seen declining interest, and the NZD 200,000 to 400,000 band experienced price corrections of up to 23 percent across 2024. Boats above the NZD 500,000 mark weathered that correction considerably better.
Current listing activity reflects this dynamic. A review of the Boats for Sale section on Boating New Zealand shows around 200 motor yachts currently listed across a range of price points, suggesting healthy supply and active brokerage turnover. Sailing multihulls are also growing in popularity and are reported to move quickly when presented well and priced competitively.
The economic contribution of the superyacht sector extends well beyond brokerage commissions. A 2024 report commissioned by NZ Marine and conducted by Market Economics Limited found that 56 visiting superyachts injected approximately NZD 212 million into the New Zealand economy during the 2023/2024 season. Each vessel spent an average of NZD 3.8 million locally, with roughly 90 percent of that expenditure flowing into marine services including maintenance, refit work and berthage. That refit activity forms a substantial part of what the NZ Marine Industry Association reports as a NZD 3.3 billion marine sector, encompassing domestic sales and exports.
Significant investment in refit infrastructure across Northland, Auckland and the Bay of Plenty has expanded capacity in recent years, with New Zealand now positioned to accommodate up to 50 percent more superyacht arrivals in the seasons ahead.
Trailer boats remain a distinct strength within the New Zealand market, underpinned by the country's access-driven boating culture and an enduring preference for flexibility on the water.
The evidence points to something more than a superyacht headline cycle. It is a broad, value-driven evolution shaped by global wealth growth, advancing technology, sustainability considerations and increasingly discerning ownership behaviour across all the major yacht markets.
