The established Blue Economy sectors in the Netherlands directly employ nearly 187,000 people and generate approximately €25.8 billion in GVA (2022). While representing a modest contribution to the national economy, the Dutch Blue Economy sectors contributed by approx. 2.9% to national GVA and 1.9% to national employment.
The size and share of the Blue Economy in terms of employment have remained relatively stable in the Netherlands since 2009. In absolute terms, the number of people employed in the Dutch Blue Economy increased by 50 thousand people in the decade between 2009 and 2019 (+37%). However, it then suffered a decrease of 34,000 people in the following year (-17%), largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It has then partially recovered, yet without matching its pre-pandemic levels.
In terms of GVA, the share of the Dutch Blue Economy to the national economy decreased from 2.4% in 2013-2014 to 1.8% in 2020, prior to rebounding in 2021 once the pandemic crisis was overcome. In nominal terms, GVA reached its highest level on our records in 2022, thanks to a remarkable 60% increase from the previous year.
The largest Blue Economy sector in the Netherlands in terms of GVA is the extractive sector (i.e. Marine non-living resources), which accounts for 29% of the national Blue Economy GVA, with only 1% of its workforce. It is followed by Maritime transport, representing one fourth of the national Blue Economy GVA and 16% of its workforce. Next, is the Port activities sector, which contributed to the Dutch Blue Economy by approximately 21% in terms of both GVA and employment.
In the EU, the Dutch Blue Economy ranks 5th in GVA and 7th in terms of employment. Its Non-living resources sector is by far the first in the EU in terms of GVA (nearly 70% of the EU total) and 3rd in terms of employment (2 thousand people). The country’s Ocean energy (offshore wind) sector is the 3rd in the EU both in GVA and employment.
The Netherlands has amongst the largest container seaports in the EU, serving as major gateways for containerized cargo in Europe. The Port of Rotterdam is by far the largest container port in Europe, handling approximately 402 million tonnes in 2023 (11.8% of the total gross weight of goods handled in all EU ports). It is followed by the Port of Amsterdam – the 4th largest in the EU (81 million tonnes), and Zeeland Seaports (37 million tonnes).
The ports of Rotterdam and Amsterdam (in this order) are also the largest passenger ports in the Netherlands, serving as a hub for ferry services to and from the United Kingdom and ports of call for cruise ships and other passenger vessels. In total, approx 1.9 million passengers embarked or disembarked through these two ports in 2023.
Several organisations are monitoring the Dutch Blue Economy at the national level and/or promoting its performance, as illustrated below:
The Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management coordinates national maritime policy, including marine spatial planning, water safety, and environmental protection. In addition to ensuring mobility through the network of waterways, it manages the country’s protection infrastructure against flooding and collaborates with other ministries and agencies to ensure water quality and the sustainable use of marine resources.
The Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management jointly with the Dutch Maritime Cluster organization Maritime By Holland ordered an in-depth maritime monitor for 2024. This monitor is excluding maritime and coastal tourism, but provides insight in indirect labour effects.
The Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ) is the national oceanographic institute and the Netherlands’ centre of expertise for ocean, sea and coast. The overarching research questions at NIOZ are related to understanding how marine systems work, how they are changing due to anthropogenic and natural impacts, and what benefits can be obtained from them in a sustainable manner.
The Wageningen Marine Research Institute offers independent scientific research and advice on more sustainable management, use and protection of marine, coastal and freshwater areas.
Other national sources of information on the Dutch Blue Economy are:
- Rijkswaterstaat: an executive agency under the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management in charge of managing the Dutch part of the North Sea, including monitoring water quality biodiversity and implementing the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD).
- Netherlands Enterprise Agency (Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend Nederland).
- Deltares: a research institute for hydraulic engineering and water management. It provides expertise in offshore engineering, water quality monitoring and sustainable development of the Dutch delta and coastal regions.
Currently, there are numerous opportunities to acquire Blue Economy education and skills within the country, for example, through the undergraduate and Master programmes in Marine Technology or Coastal and Marine Engineering offered by the Delft University of Technology or the Master and PhD programmes in Earth Surface and Water or Carbon Sequestration in Blue Ecosystems provided by the Utrecht University.
This interactive dashboard presents the evolution of the blue economy for the Netherlands. 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
Figure 3: Netherlands: Evolution of the Employment by Blue Economy Activity (2009-2021) - Persons employed
This table provides a comprehensive overview of employment trends in Netherlands Blue Economy from 2009 to 2021. It consists of 44 rows and 16 columns, with the first row serving as the header that outlines the content of each column, namely: the title followed by the years from 2009 to 2021, one for each column.
- The first three columns include:
- Blue Economy Sector
- Sub-Sector
- Activity
- The next 13 columns display the number of persons employed in each activity for each year from 2009 to 2021. Each cell in these columns contains numerical data representing the employment figures for that specific activity and year.
- The last row (row 44) the last row of the table summarises the total number of persons employed for each year, providing a clear overview of employment trends across the entire Blue Economy.
Overall, this table encompasses 7 sectors, 13 sub-sectors, and 42 activities, making it a valuable resource for analysing how employment in Blue Economy has evolved over the specified period in the specific country.
Figure 4: Netherlands: Evolution of the GVA by Blue Economy Activity (2009-2021) - M€"
This figure provides a comprehensive overview of the Gross Value Added (GVA) across various activities within the Blue Economy. It consists of 44 rows and 16 columns with the first row serving as the header that outlines the content of each column, namely: the title followed by the years from 2009 to 2021, one for each column.
- The first three columns include:
- Blue Economy Sector
- Sub-Sector
- Activity
- The next 13 columns display the GVA values for each activity from 2009 to 2021.
- The last row (row 44) summarises the totals for each year.
The table encompasses 7 sectors, 13 sub-sectors, and 42 activities, allowing for a detailed analysis of how the GVA has evolved over the specified years. This structured format facilitates comparisons across different sectors and activities, highlighting trends and changes within the Blue Economy in the Netherlands.