In 2023, the French established Blue Economy sectors employ about 519 000 people and generate around €30.7 billion in GVA. The Blue Economy sectors employ roughly 1.9% of the national workforce, in line with the previous year. French Blue Economy contributes to 1.2% of the national GVA, also in line with the previous year.
The French Blue Economy is mainly based on Coastal tourism activities in terms of employment, with 45% of blue workers employed in this sector in 2023. Persons employed in the sector Marine living resources amount to 25% of the Blue Economy workforce, whilst 12% of blue economy workers are employed in the Shipbuilding and repair industry.
In terms of GVA, Coastal tourism contributes the most to the Blue Economy GVA (40%), a very marginal decrease from 2021 (41%), although nominally the sector generated a higher value (€12.3 billion in 2023 vs €12 billion in 2022). Shipbuilding and repair are the second largest contributor to the French Blue Economy, equal to 21% (+3% on annual basis, €6.3 billion vs €5.1 billion).
In 2023, France is the largest contributor in EU in terms of employment for Shipbuilding and repair, the third largest contributor for Port activities and Maritime transport, and the fourth largest contributor for Living resources and Coastal tourism. It is also the largest contributor in EU for GVA for the sector Shipbuilding and repair, the second largest for Coastal tourism and the third largest for Port activities and Living resources.
In 2024, the busiest French container ports in terms of gross weight of goods handled are the Ports of Le Havre and Rouen (ranked 7th in EU), the Port of Marseille (ranked 9th), the Port of Dunkerque (23rd). In terms of passengers embarked and disembarked in ports, the port of Calais is the first ranked in France and the 10th busiest in EU in 2024. Other busy passengers ports are Marseille (51st), Bastia (52nd) and Dunkerque (70th).
National bodies overlooking the blue economy activities include the Ministère de l’aménagement du territoire et de la décentralisation and the Ministère de la transition écologique, de la biodiversité, de la forêt, de la mer et de la pêche, the HAROPA port, the CEREMA.
France has officially released its new Strategy for the Sea and Coastline 2024–2030, the English version of the strategy is now accessible here.
To support informed decision-making, the Statistical Data and Studies Department of the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Sea regularly publishes socio-economic analyses and statistical reviews of the maritime economy, including employment and added value. These resources are available at:
-English statistical content
-Key figures on the sea and coastline
In addition, the Secretariat-General for the Sea and the French Maritime Cluster have produced a comprehensive overview of France’s maritime economy sectors. The 2022 edition and 2025 updates (available in French only) can be found here:
Finally, Ifremer (French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea) publishes regular reports on the economic weight of French maritime activities, including their national contribution, international competitiveness, and public service roles. The latest English edition (2022) is available here:
-French Maritime Economic Data – Ifremer
Relevant research and scientific bodies include Ifremer and SHOM.
There are several educational opportunities for those seeking to develop skills in blue economy, such as the MSc in Marine and Coastal Sciences at the University of Brest, the MSc in Ship Operation & Naval engineering at Centrale Nantes, or the MSc in Advanced Ship Design and Offshore Renewable Energies at ICAM Catholic Institute of Engineering.
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 France. 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.