In 2023, the Finnish established Blue Economy sectors employ about 60 500 people and generate around €3.6 billion in GVA. Although still below the pre-COVID-19 value (2.8% in 2019), the Blue Economy employs roughly 2.4% of the national workforce, an increase from 2.2% recorded in 2022. Finnish Blue Economy contributes 1.5% to the national GVA in 2023, an increase from 2022 (1.4%) but still lower than that recorded in 2019 (1.7%).
The Finnish Blue Economy is mainly based on Coastal tourism activities in terms of employment, with 43% of blue workers employed in this sector in 2023. The share has increased since 2022 (41%) but is far from the values recorded pre-Covid (in 2019, 48%). Shipbuilding and repair, Maritime transport and Living resources contribute together to about half of the Blue Economy workforce.
In terms of GVA, four main sectors contribute the most to the Finnish Blue Economy in 2023. These are Coastal tourism (29%), Maritime transport (25%), Shipbuilding and repair (19%) and Port activities (15%).
In 2023, Finland is the 8th largest contributor in EU in terms of employment with Shipbuilding and repair and 10th largest with Maritime transport. In terms of GVA, Finland is an important contributor in EU with Shipbuilding and repair, ranking 10th in 2023.
In 2024, the busiest Finnish container ports in terms of gross weight of goods handled are the Port of Sköldvik (ranked 45th in EU), the Port of Helsinki (61st), and the Port of HaminaKotka (63rd). In terms of passengers embarked and disembarked in ports, the port of Helsinki is the first ranked in Finland and the 6th busiest in EU in 2024, whilst Turku is the second ranked in Finland and the 50th in EU.
National institutional bodies overlooking the blue economy sectors include the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency – Traficom, the Finnish Environment Institute – SYKE, the Natural Resources Institute Finland – Luke, in addition to several ministries (Transport and Communications, Agriculture and Forestry, Environment). Institutes that carry out research on Blue Economy matters include MarineFinland and Blue Eonomy Mikkely.
Several educational opportunities are offered to those seeking to develop skills on blue economy matters, such as the bachelor of Engineering in Maritime Technology and the master of Engineering in Maritime Management available at Novia University of Applied Sciences, or the MSc in Maritime Engineering in offer at Aalto University.
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 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 Finland. 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.