Snowmobiling is most popular in the United States and Canada, followed by Sweden, Finland and Norway. All 9 countries ranked by sleds and trails.
Snowmobiling started in Canada in 1959, when Joseph-Armand Bombardier put the Ski-Doo on sale, and it is still concentrated in the snow belts of North America and Scandinavia. The United States has about 1.2 million registered snowmobiles and Canada roughly 700,000, far ahead of every other country.
Below you will find the full ranking, a table of registered snowmobiles, a profile of each country and a short list of other places where the sport has a following. Registration data is the only widely published measure, and many countries do not publish it, so the table carries only the figures we could source.
Countries where snowmobiling is most popular:
Snowmobiling Popularity by Country at a Glance
| Rank | Country | Registered snowmobiles | Best known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | United States | about 1.2 million | Eagle River derby, X Games, Polaris and Arctic Cat |
| #2 | Canada | about 700,000 | Birthplace of the Ski-Doo, 130,700 km of trails |
| #3 | Sweden | about 211,000 | Lapland safaris, Kiruna and Luleå |
| #4 | Finland | about 181,000 | Lynx and Ski-Doo production in Rovaniemi |
| #5 | Norway | 96,024 | Snowcross world champion Elias Ishoel |
| #6 | Russia | n/a | Vast snow territory, registration since 2020 |
| #7 | Iceland | 5,651 | Glacier tours and winter highlands |
| #8 | Japan | n/a | Hokkaido tours |
| #9 | Estonia | n/a | Snowmobile safaris from Tallinn |
How We Ranked the Countries
We weighed registered snowmobiles, the length of groomed trail networks, new sales, the strength of national organisations and the weight of racing and events such as the Eagle River derby and the FIM Snowcross World Championship. Snow reliability matters too, which is why the list is dominated by northern countries.
Figures come from the International Snowmobile Manufacturers Association (ISMA), national statistics and parliamentary documents. Years differ between countries, so read the numbers as orders of magnitude. Where we found no registration figure we show n/a.
#1 United States
- 🛷 Registered sleds: about 1.2 million (ISMA estimate, 2025)
- 🛤️ Trails: over 120,000 miles (about 193,000 km), per an ISMA campaign in 2021
- 📦 New sales: 51,987 units in the 2024 season
- 🏆 X Games: Tucker Hibbert, 10 SnoCross golds
- 🏁 Event: World Championship Snowmobile Derby, Eagle River, Wisconsin, since 1964
The United States has the largest fleet of snowmobiles in the world, with an ISMA estimate of about 1.2 million registered machines in 2025. Polaris traces its snowmobile business to the Hetteen company’s Sno Traveler of 1957, and Edgar Hetteen later founded what became Arctic Cat in 1960. New sales were 51,987 units in the 2024 season.
The sport’s showpiece in the Midwest is the World Championship Snowmobile Derby at Eagle River, Wisconsin, which began in 1964 on Dollar Lake and draws more than 40,000 spectators a year. In the X Games, Tucker Hibbert won ten SnoCross gold medals, nine of them in a row from 2007 to 2016.
#2 Canada
- 🛷 Registered sleds: about 688,000 in 2025, up from 601,000 in 2021/22 (ISMA), definitions vary
- 🛤️ Trails: 130,700 km of marked trails, 729 clubs (CCSO)
- 📦 New sales: 38,599 units in the 2024 season, 34% of the world total
- 🏭 Brand: Ski-Doo, made by BRP
Canada is where the sport began. Joseph-Armand Bombardier tested a wooden prototype in 1958, and the Ski-Doo went on sale in 1959. Counts of Canadian machines vary by source: ISMA-based figures range from about 601,000 registered in 2021/22 to about 688,000 in 2025, so we round to roughly 700,000.
The Canadian Council of Snowmobile Organizations says the country has 130,700 km of marked trails, 729 clubs and 12 provincial and territorial associations. Canada took 34% of the world’s new snowmobile sales in the 2024 season with 38,599 units.
#3 Sweden
- 🛷 Registered sleds: about 211,000 in traffic at the end of 2023 (Trafikanalys)
- 🏙️ Luleå: 15,708 registered snowmobiles in the municipality in 2022
- 📦 New sales: 8,671 units in 2021/22
- 🏛️ Organisations: Snofed, SSCO
Sweden has the largest registered snowmobile fleet in Europe among the countries with published figures. Trafikanalys, the national transport statistics agency, counted 202,677 snowmobiles in traffic at the end of 2022 and about 211,000 a year later. The municipality of Luleå alone had 15,708 registered snowmobiles in 2022.
Trail maintenance relies largely on volunteer clubs, and Kiruna and Luleå are well-known bases for snowmobile safaris. New sales were 8,671 units in 2021/22. A planned SNX of Sweden round at Fällfors was cancelled from the 2026 world championship calendar.
#4 Finland
- 🛷 Registered sleds: about 181,000 in 2024 (Statistics Finland and Traficom data, cited in a university thesis)
- 🛤️ Trails: a network of nearly 20,000 km, about 3,500 km of it maintained by Metsähallitus
- 🏭 Production: BRP has built 500,000 snowmobiles in Rovaniemi since 1993
- 📦 New sales: 4,141 units in the 2024 season
Finland is both a user and a producer, with about 181,000 registered snowmobiles in 2024. BRP’s plant in Rovaniemi has built 500,000 snowmobiles since 1993, and Lynx and Ski-Doo together hold more than 80% of the Finnish market. New sales were 4,141 units in the 2024 season, a drop of 20%.
The trail network is close to 20,000 km, of which about 3,500 km are maintained by the state forest service Metsähallitus. Finnish riders are strong in racing: Aki Pihlaja was runner-up in the 2025 SNX title and Saga Forssell won the women’s title, and Rovaniemi will host an SNX round on 20 and 21 February 2027.
#5 Norway
- 🛷 Registered sleds: 96,024 in 2021 (Statsforvalteren presentation)
- 🏔️ Svalbard: 2,993 registered at the end of 2025
- 🏆 Racing: Elias Ishoel won the 2025 SNX title
- 📅 Event: Trondheim hosts the 2027 SNX finale on 9 and 10 April
A Statsforvalteren presentation lists 96,024 registered snowmobiles in Norway in 2021, up from 63,631 in 2008, though the slide does not name its source. Norwegian rules restrict off-road driving.
Norway is strong in competition. Elias Ishoel won the 2025 SNX title, and the 2026 finale in Trondheim drew 7,000 spectators. Trondheim will host the 2027 finale on 9 and 10 April. Svalbard alone had 2,993 registered snowmobiles at the end of 2025.
#6 Russia
- 🛷 Registered sleds: n/a
- 📜 Rules: Registration with Gostekhnadzor required since Decree No. 1507 (2020)
- 🚜 All off-road machines: 3.8 million self-propelled machines of all types (August 2025)
Russia has the largest snow-covered territory of any country. We found no national snowmobile count. Registration with the state technical inspectorate has been required since Decree No. 1507 of 2020.
The only national figure we found covers all self-propelled machines together, including quads and swamp vehicles: 3.8 million in August 2025.
#7 Iceland
- 🛷 Registered sleds: 5,651 at the end of 2016 (Statistics Iceland via CEIC)
- 📅 Data year: 2016, so likely higher now
- ❄️ Context: an island with a strong winter-sports tradition
Iceland had 5,651 registered snowmobiles at the end of 2016, according to Statistics Iceland data compiled by CEIC, the most recent figure we found.
Snowmobile tours are a feature of Icelandic winter tourism, but we found no more recent national count.
#8 Japan
- 🛷 Registered sleds: n/a
- 🏔️ Where: Hokkaido resorts such as Niseko offer guided snowmobile tours
- 📊 Data: no national figure found
Snowmobiling in Japan is mainly a tourist activity on Hokkaido, where resort areas such as Niseko and Sapporo’s surroundings offer guided tours. We found no national registration figure.
Hokkaido’s snow makes tours possible, but we found no national trail network or club system figures.
#9 Estonia
- 🛷 Registered sleds: n/a
- 🏔️ Where: Safaris near Tallinn and in holiday centres such as Toosikannu
- 📊 Data: no national figure found
In Estonia snowmobiling is offered chiefly as guided safaris, for example near Tallinn and at holiday centres such as Toosikannu. We found no national registration figure.
We found no trail or club figures for the country.
Which Countries Have the Most Snowmobiles?
There is no world championship medal table that covers the whole sport, so we compare registered snowmobiles and, where available, new sales in the 2024 season. Years and definitions differ, so treat the figures as orders of magnitude.
| Country | Registered snowmobiles | Year |
|---|---|---|
| United States | about 1.2 million | 2025 |
| Canada | about 688,000 | 2025 |
| Sweden | about 211,000 | 2023 (Trafikanalys) |
| Finland | about 181,000 | 2024 (Statistics Finland and Traficom, via a thesis) |
| Norway | 96,024 | 2021 |
| Iceland | 5,651 | 2016 |
Other Countries Where Snowmobiling Is Growing
These places have a snowmobile scene but no confirmed national count.
| Country | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Italy | Alpina has built dual-track snowmobiles in Vicenza since 1995. |
| Austria | Guided snowmobile tours are offered in resorts such as Saalbach-Hinterglemm. |
| France | A 1991 law restricts motor vehicles in natural areas, so leisure snowmobiling is largely limited to short circuits at ski resorts. |
More About Snowmobiling
FAQ
Which country is snowmobiling most popular in?
The United States, with about 1.2 million registered snowmobiles, followed by Canada with roughly 700,000. Sweden, Finland and Norway are the leading European countries.
Where was the snowmobile invented?
In Canada. Joseph-Armand Bombardier tested a wooden prototype in 1958 and the Ski-Doo went on sale in 1959. Polaris and Arctic Cat followed in the United States.
Which country has the most snowmobile trails?
The United States claims over 120,000 miles of trails (about 193,000 km) and Canada 130,700 km of marked trails. Finland has a network of nearly 20,000 km.
Is snowmobiling popular in Europe?
Yes, mostly in Scandinavia. Sweden had about 211,000 snowmobiles in traffic at the end of 2023, Finland about 181,000 in 2024 and Norway 96,024 in 2021. The ISMA puts the number of active snowmobilers in Scandinavia at about 320,000.
Who has won the most X Games SnoCross medals?
Tucker Hibbert of the United States has ten gold medals, with nine in a row from 2007 to 2016, according to Guinness World Records.
What is the biggest snowmobile race?
The World Championship Snowmobile Derby at Eagle River, Wisconsin, has run since 1964 and draws more than 40,000 spectators a year. The FIM Snowcross World Championship (SNX) is the top international series.
How many snowmobiles are sold each year?
ISMA data cited in the trade press show 93,789 new snowmobiles sold worldwide in 2026, against 92,387 in 2025.
