The Blue Economy is a strategic priority for Cyprus, reflecting the country's strong maritime identity and its geographic position at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. As an island nation with an extensive coastline and a long maritime tradition, Cyprus depends on the sustainable use of its marine and coastal resources to support economic growth, environmental protection, and social well-being.
Cyprus has identified the Blue Economy as a key pillar of its national development strategy, in line with the European Union's Sustainable Blue Economy approach and the European Green Deal. The country promotes the sustainable development of traditional maritime sectors—including shipping, fisheries, aquaculture, coastal and marine tourism, and port activities—while also investing in emerging sectors such as marine renewable energy, marine biotechnology, ocean observation, digital maritime technologies, and the circular blue economy.
In 2023, the Cypriot established Blue Economy sectors employ about 45 600 people and generate around €1.6 billion in GVA. The Blue Economy has an extremely positive impact on the Cypriot workforce, employing roughly 10% of the national workforce. This share has decreased on a year-to-year basis (12% in 2022). Cyprus has recorded a decrease in contribution of Blue Economy sectors to the overall GVA, moving from 6.7% in 2022 to 5.7% in 2023.
The Cypriot Blue Economy is dominated by Coastal tourism, which contributes to 77% of Cypriot blue jobs and 84% to GVA, in 2023. Both values are however lower than those registered in 2022: indeed, 56 000 people were employed in this sector (26% more than in 2023), representing 87% of the national blue economy workforce, and generated €1.4 billion (12% more than in 2023), representing 80% of the blue economy GVA.
The sectors that employ the second and third biggest shares of blue workers are Marine living resources (8%) and Shipbuilding and repair (3%). In terms of GVA, Port activities (7%) and Shipbuilding and repair (6%) contribute to an overall 13% of the entire national Blue Economy.
Overall, Cyprus ranked 14th and 12th in EU for contribution to persons employed and GVA in the sector Coastal tourism.
In 2024, the busiest container ports in Cyprus are: Port of Zygi (140th busiest port in EU in terms of gross weight of goods handled) and Port of Lemesos (168th). In terms of passengers embarked and disembarked in ports, Lemesos is the first ranked Cypriot port, however it only ranked 441st in EU.
In 2021, Cyprus established a Policy Statement on Maritime Spatial Planning under the coordination of the Shipping Deputy Ministry, setting its vision, priorities, goals and strategic guidelines for the sustainable growth of its Blue Economy. In 2023, Cyprus established its first Maritime Spatial Plan, aiming to facilitate the sustainable exploitation and growth of its marine waters, focusing on the Blue Economy sectors of fisheries, aquaculture, energy (including offshore renewable energy), maritime and coastal tourism, shipping and ports, as well as protecting the marine environment and promoting cultural heritage and the scientific research and knowledge.
Cyprus's role in advancing the Blue Economy has gained additional prominence through its Presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2026. During this period, the country has highlighted sustainable ocean governance, regional cooperation in the Eastern Mediterranean, maritime innovation, and climate resilience. Major initiatives, including the European Maritime Day 2026 and the THALASSA 2026 Conference, provide platforms for dialogue among policymakers, researchers, industry leaders, and civil society to promote sustainable blue growth and strengthen international collaboration.
By combining economic development with environmental stewardship, innovation, and regional cooperation, Cyprus continues to position itself as a leading Blue Economy hub in the Eastern Mediterranean, contributing to the sustainable management of marine resources for present and future generations.
Cyprus offers a range of opportunities to acquire education and skills in the maritime and Blue Economy sectors through higher education institutions and specialised training providers, including the Cyprus Marine & Maritime Institute (CMMI), the Cyprus Maritime Academy, Mediterranean Maritime Academy, Frederick University, the Oceanogrpahic Center of the University of Cyprus and other academic and vocational education providers offering programmes in maritime studies, marine sciences, environmental management, logistics, and related disciplines. Furthermore, in the coming years, the newly established School of Marine Sciences, Technology and Sustainable Development at the Cyprus University of Technology (CUT) in Larnaca will commence its academic and research activities, further strengthening Cyprus's capacity in marine sciences, maritime innovation, sustainable development, and Blue Economy education.
Marine Strategy Framework Directive: Economic and Social Analysis (ESA)
As part of the MSFD reporting obligations, Member States must provide an Economic and Social Analysis of the blue economy. This analysis is integrated into the broader reporting package under Articles 8, 9, and 10, which includes:
- The status of marine waters;
- The determination of GES;
- Environmental targets to achieve GES.
The Economic and Social Analysis (ESA) report for the 2024–2029 cycle prepared by the Department of Fisheries and Marine Research (DFMR), Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, Cyprus, is presented below in PDF format. This document is available in English translation, with the original language included where applicable.
The full reports submitted under Articles 8, 9, and 10 are available here: MSFD Reporting Portal.
For more information on the implementation of the MSFD, visit the European Commission’s MSFD page
For more national level data, please visit the Dashboards section within the EU Blue Economy Observatory, where you can also find information about Educational and Employment opportunities in the Blue Economy sectors.
Text version
This interactive dashboard presents the evolution of the blue economy for Cyprus. It is designed to provide insights into key economic indicators over time.
At the top of the dashboard, there is a drop-down menu that allows users to select one of the following data categories:
- Employment: Number of jobs and workforce trends in the blue economy sectors.
- Gross Value Added (GVA): The contribution of the blue economy to the national economy.
- Turnover and Gross Profit: Revenue and profitability metrics of blue economy industries.
- Investment: Capital investment levels in blue economy sectors.
Once a category is selected, the main panel updates to display relevant visualisations, such as line charts or bar graphs, showing trends over time. These visualisations are accompanied by labels, legends, and tooltips to ensure clarity and accessibility.
The dashboard is navigable via keyboard and compatible with screen readers. All interactive elements are clearly labeled, and data visualisations include alternative text descriptions summarising key insights.