Middle-class Australians love boating
Nearly half a million new boat owners since 2012.
A new study has found boat ownership amongst Australians has risen significantly in recent years, with middle-class households leading the charge.
Roy Morgan Research's latest survey reveals the number of Australian boat owners has increased by nearly half a million people since 2012.
The study shows 2.6 million Aussies live in a household with some kind of boat: either a motor/speed boat, a dinghy/canoe/rowboat or a yacht/sailboat.
The greatest surge in growth has been for dinghy/canoe/row boats, with 1.5 million people living in a household that has one, up from 1.1 million in 2012.
Almost 1.3 million people live in a household with a motor/speed boat, up from 1.1 million in 2012, while a much smaller proportion (166,000) own a yacht or other sailboat, down from 176,000 in 2012.
270,000 Aussies live in households where there is both a motor/speed boat and a dinghy/canoe/row boat. 67,000 yacht/sailboat owners also have a dinghy/canoe/row boat.
The study also found middle-class Australians belonging to socio-economic quintile C (15.5%) are generally more likely to own a boat than those from the more wealthy AB quintile (13.5%).
Middle-class Aussies own the greatest proportion of Australia's dinghies/canoes/row boats (23.7%), motor/speed boats (24.3%) and yacht/sailboats (31.3%).
However, boat ownership among lower-rung socio-economic groups is decidedly less common.
If you're looking to buy a boat and you're in need of finance, there are a range of boat loans available.
Boat insurance, like car insurance, can provide owners with comprehensive damage and theft cover.
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