The Danish established Blue Economy sectors employ about 126 800 people and generate around €18.6 billion in GVA in 2023. The Blue Economy has a positive impact on the Danish workforce, employing about 4.4% of the national workforce. This share is slightly lower than the previous year (4.5%) and far from the pre-Covid levels (5.3% in 2019). The contribution in terms of GVA of the blue economy to the overall economy is about 5.6%, a large step forward from 4.9% recorded in 2022 and in line with pre-Covid contribution (5.6% in 2019).
In 2023, the Danish Blue Economy is dominated by Coastal tourism in terms of people employed (46% of Danish blue jobs). This share has decreased from the previous year (49%) and is very far from the 60% recorded in 2019. A similar trend emerges for the GVA of the sector, which contributes for 12%, decreasing from 14% in 2022, and distant from the value of 2019 (24%). Maritime transport generates 60% of the GVA in 2023, a much higher value than the one recorded in 2022 (49%), stressing a larger reliance of the Danish blue economy on this sector.
In the EU, Denmark is the largest contributor in terms of GVA in the sectors Maritime transport and Marine non-living resources, and the third largest contributor in renewable energy in 2023. In the same year, Denmark is also the largest contributor to the employment within Maritime transport, the second largest to Marine non-living resources, and the third largest to Offshore wind in EU.
In 2024, the busiest container ports in Denmark are: Port of Århus (83rd busiest port in EU in terms of gross weight of goods handled), Port of Rødby (Færgehavn) (88th) and Port of Fredericia (96th).
In terms of passengers embarked and disembarked in ports, Helsingør (Elsinore) is the first ranked Danish port (ranked 14th busiest port in EU in 2024), followed by Rødby (Færgehavn) (20th), Sjællands Odde (28th) and Århus (29th).
Several bodies/agencies monitor the blue economy sectors in Denmark. For example, the Danish Maritime Authority is a part of the Ministry of Industry, Business and Financial Affairs, and aims at ensuring competitiveness for the maritime cluster as well as promoting safety and health of the seas. The Danish Fisheries Agency is, among other tasks, responsible for fisheries management, quota allocation, monitoring, and compliance.
The Danish Government’s Climate Partnership has launched Blue Denmark with the objective of reducing CO2e emission over the next ten years, focusing on energy efficiency, ports, shipping and governance.
Denmark offers several educational opportunities for those interested in carrying out a career in some blue economy sectors, including at the Technical University of Denmark, at the University of Southern Denmark and at the University of Copenhagen.
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 Denmark. 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.