Snowmobiling Statistics and Facts

Our yearly snowmobiling fact book provides detailed information on the following:

  • U.S. snowmobile registrations
  • U.S. snowmobile sales
  • Canadian snowmobile registrations
  • Canadian snowmobile sales
  • Snowmobile history
  • Snowmobile lifestyle
  • Economic impact
  • Snowmobiling in Europe
  • Snowmobile community
  • Snowmobile charities
  • Trails
  • Snowmobile impact on widlife
  • —and much more

Snowmobiling Quick Facts

There are four major manufacturers that build snowmobiles. They are: Arctic Cat – Headquartered in Thief River Falls, MN; BRP – Headquartered in Valcourt, Quebec; Polaris Industries – Headquartered in Medina, MN; and Yamaha Motor Corporation – Headquartered in Ontario, Canada.

In 2023 there were 124,769 snowmobiles sold worldwide; 53,553 were sold in the U.S. and 48,252 were sold in Canada.

There are 1.26 million registered snowmobiles in the US and over 601,000 registered snowmobiles in Canada.

The Economic Impact of Snowmobiling

  • United States—$26 Billion annually
    Canada—$9.3 billion annually
    Europe—$4 billion annually
  • Over 100,000 full-time jobs are generated by the snowmobile industry in North America. Those jobs are involved in manufacturing, dealerships and tourism related businesses.

Snowmobiler Profile

  • The average age of a snowmobiler is 54 years old.
  • The average snowmobiler spends $2,500 each year on snowmobile-related recreation.
  • 50% of snowmobilers trailer their snowmobiles to ride. 50% snowmobile from their primary residence or have a vacation home where they keep and use their snowmobiles.
  • Snowmobilers are caring neighbors, they raised over $3 million for charity annually.
  • There are 3,000+ snowmobile clubs worldwide, involved in trail grooming, charity fund raising, & family activities.
  • There are over 42 registered non-profit associations representing snowmobilers in the US, Canada, Europe.
  • Snowmobiling is great exercise bringing people outdoors interacting with nature and each other. It is an invigorating sport, great for stress release and good mental health.

Snowmobile Use

The use of snowmobiles in National Parks is regulated by federal Law Enforcement. Snowmobiling occurs on roads groomed and marked for snowmobiling, the same roadways used by recreational vehicles, cars, trucks and busses. Snowmobiles are NOT used as off road vehicles in National Parks such as Yellowstone, Rocky Mountain and Grand Teton.

On US National Forest Land, most of the trails used by snowmobiles are on groomed roads used by summer recreationists. There are also secondary and seasonal roads within the forests used by snowmobilers. These roads are groomed and marked by volunteers who work closely with the local U.S. Forest Service staff in maintaining and managing those areas.

The manufacturers have always been actively involved in promoting safe riding behavior while snowmobiling. Over one million safety related brochures and decals, and hundreds of thousands of posters and safety DVDs have been distributed free of charge to snowmobile enthusiasts throughout the world. Safety trainers, enforcement officers, Chambers of Commerce, etc. use safety materials provided by the manufacturers through the Safe Riders! You make snowmobiling safe™ safety campaign.

Contact us

International Snowmobile Manufacturers Association
1640 Haslett Road, Suite 170
Haslett, Michigan USA 48840
Phone: 517.339.7788
Fax: 517.339.7798
ismasue@aol.com

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